Marine mechanic to ship duty engineer
A marine mechanic already meets 34% of what the ship duty engineer role asks for. The move turns on 17 required skills not yet in the profile.
71.1/ 100
1 How much of what a ship duty engineer is expected to do is already part of a marine mechanic’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the ship duty engineer role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A ship duty engineer role treats 9 of its required skills as things a marine mechanic already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- apply vessel engine regulations
- detect malfunctions in engines
- engine components
- evaluate engine performance
- inspect engine rooms
- maintain vessel engine room
What stands in the way is 17 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 13 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A ship duty engineer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a marine mechanic background worth leading with.
- already held repair vessel mechanical systems working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held apply vessel engine regulations assisting and caring
- already held detect malfunctions in engines constructing
- already held inspect engine rooms information skills
- already held operate vessel engine room working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held maintain vessel engine room constructing
All 13 carried skills, including the 9 the ship duty engineer role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 25 missing skills fall into 10 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn manage vessel engines and systems required
- still to learn operate diesel propulsion plants required
- still to learn operate maritime communication equipment required
- still to learn prepare engine room for operation required
- still to learn provide support in vessel machinery systems required
- still to learn ship hull engineering required
- still to learn operation of different engines required
- still to learn principles of combustion engines required
- optional, not held principles of mechanical engineering optional
- still to learn maintain vessel inventory required
- still to learn stay up-to-date with maritime transportation technology required
- optional, not held analyse work-related written reports optional
- still to learn International Maritime Organisation conventions required
- still to learn maritime law required
- still to learn manage second level engines required
- still to learn perform routine maintenance of ship engines required
- still to learn manage safety standards for maritime water transport required
4 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a ship duty engineer role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 manage second level engines practise this
- 02 ship hull engineering study this
- 03 International Maritime Organisation conventions study this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 13 skills that carry over
- already held apply vessel engine regulations skill
- already held detect malfunctions in engines skill
- already held engine components knowledge
- already held evaluate engine performance skill
- already held inspect engine rooms skill
- already held maintain vessel engine room skill
- already held moor vessels skill
- already held operate vessel engine room skill
- already held unmoor vessels skill
- already held act reliably skill
- already held mechanics knowledge
- already held repair vessel mechanical systems skill
- already held use different communication channels skill
The 4 learning areas not shown above
- still to learn perform bunkering required
- still to learn Global Maritime Distress and Safety System required
- optional, not held work in a water transport team optional
- optional, not held follow written instructions optional
- optional, not held liaise with colleagues optional
- optional, not held use maritime English optional
- optional, not held write work-related reports optional
- optional, not held physics optional
8 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held work in a water transport team optional
- optional, not held analyse work-related written reports optional
- optional, not held follow written instructions optional
- optional, not held liaise with colleagues optional
- optional, not held physics optional
- optional, not held principles of mechanical engineering optional
- optional, not held use maritime English optional
- optional, not held write work-related reports optional
51 held skills the ship duty engineer role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role adhere to traffic regulations on inland waterways skill
- not needed by the target role apply regulations on cargo transport operations skill
- not needed by the target role clean parts of vessels skill
- not needed by the target role communicate reports provided by passengers skill
- not needed by the target role comply with checklists skill
- not needed by the target role disassemble engines skill
- not needed by the target role dispose of hazardous waste skill
- not needed by the target role distinguish ship construction methods skill
- not needed by the target role distinguish various types of ships skill
- not needed by the target role electric generators knowledge
- not needed by the target role electrical machines knowledge
- not needed by the target role electrical systems used in transportation knowledge
- not needed by the target role electronics knowledge
- not needed by the target role encourage teambuilding skill
- not needed by the target role ensure integrity of hull skill
- not needed by the target role ensure vessel compliance with regulations skill
- not needed by the target role european classification of inland waterways knowledge
- not needed by the target role execute safety assurance exercises skill
- not needed by the target role functions of vessel deck equipment knowledge
- not needed by the target role have computer literacy skill
- not needed by the target role implement workplace drug policies skill
- not needed by the target role inland waterway ship building knowledge
- not needed by the target role install electrical and electronic equipment skill
- not needed by the target role international waterways knowledge
- not needed by the target role maintain hydraulic systems skill
- not needed by the target role maintain records of maintenance interventions skill
- not needed by the target role maintain vessel steering mechanisms skill
- not needed by the target role manage vessel control systems skill
- not needed by the target role mechanics of vessels knowledge
- not needed by the target role monitor pumping system operations skill
- not needed by the target role multimodal transport logistics knowledge
- not needed by the target role national waterways knowledge
- not needed by the target role perform services in a flexible manner skill
- not needed by the target role prepare equipment for navigation operations skill
- not needed by the target role prepare main engines for navigation operations skill
- not needed by the target role prevent damage to electrical devices on board skill
- not needed by the target role principles of cargo stowage knowledge
- not needed by the target role provide feedback on job performance skill
- not needed by the target role purchase supplies skill
- not needed by the target role read standard blueprints skill
11 further entries not listed here
8 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn ship hull engineering required
- still to learn International Maritime Organisation conventions required
- still to learn maritime law required
- still to learn operation of different engines required
- still to learn Global Maritime Distress and Safety System required
- still to learn principles of combustion engines required
- optional, not held physics optional
- optional, not held principles of mechanical engineering optional
Common questions about this move
Can a marine mechanic become a ship duty engineer?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A marine mechanic already covers 34% of what a ship duty engineer is expected to do: 13 skills carry over, 9 of which the ship duty engineer role treats as required.
What skills does a marine mechanic need to become a ship duty engineer?
17 required skills are missing, plus 8 optional ones. They fall into 10 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by working with machinery and specialised equipment. The single most important is manage second level engines.
How hard is the move from marine mechanic to ship duty engineer?
Its learning distance is 71.1 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.