Plumber to irrigation system installer
A plumber already meets 60% of what the irrigation system installer role asks for. The move turns on 5 required skills not yet in the profile.
43/ 100
1 How much of what an irrigation system installer is expected to do is already part of a plumber’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 irrigation system installer role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An irrigation system installer role treats 10 of its required skills as things a plumber already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- apply proofing membranes
- check water pressure
- follow health and safety procedures in construction
- inspect construction supplies
- set up water filtration system
- transport construction supplies
What stands in the way is 5 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 18 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An irrigation system installer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a plumber background worth leading with.
- already held set up water filtration system constructing
- already held types of piping engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held check water pressure working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held apply proofing membranes constructing
- already held transport construction supplies handling and moving
- already held order construction supplies communication, collaboration and creativity
All 18 carried skills, including the 10 the irrigation system installer role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 15 missing skills fall into 5 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 mechanical systems required
- still to learn mechanics required
- optional, not held sensors optional
- still to learn install irrigation systems required
- optional, not held install SSTI system optional
- optional, not held install water reservoir optional
- optional, not held apply arc welding techniques optional
- optional, not held apply spot welding techniques optional
- optional, not held maintain irrigation systems optional
- optional, not held operate soldering equipment optional
- still to learn install water purity mechanism required
- optional, not held operate excavator optional
- optional, not held set up water pump optional
- still to learn set up drip irrigation system required
- optional, not held fertigation optional
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries an irrigation system installer role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 set up drip irrigation system practise this
- 02 install water purity mechanism practise this
- 03 install irrigation systems practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 18 skills that carry over
- already held apply proofing membranes skill
- already held check water pressure skill
- already held follow health and safety procedures in construction skill
- already held inspect construction supplies skill
- already held set up water filtration system skill
- already held transport construction supplies skill
- already held types of piping knowledge
- already held use measurement instruments skill
- already held use safety equipment in construction skill
- already held work ergonomically skill
- already held answer requests for quotation skill
- already held calculate needs for construction supplies skill
- already held keep personal administration skill
- already held keep records of work progress skill
- already held monitor stock level skill
- already held order construction supplies skill
- already held process incoming construction supplies skill
- already held work in a construction team skill
10 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held fertigation optional
- optional, not held install SSTI system optional
- optional, not held install water reservoir optional
- optional, not held operate excavator optional
- optional, not held set up water pump optional
- optional, not held apply arc welding techniques optional
- optional, not held apply spot welding techniques optional
- optional, not held maintain irrigation systems optional
- optional, not held operate soldering equipment optional
- optional, not held sensors optional
25 held skills the irrigation system installer role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role apply a protective layer skill
- not needed by the target role attach PEX pipe skill
- not needed by the target role clear out drains skill
- not needed by the target role consult technical resources skill
- not needed by the target role cut metal products skill
- not needed by the target role cut wall chases skill
- not needed by the target role install PVC piping skill
- not needed by the target role install metal gas piping skill
- not needed by the target role install plumbing systems skill
- not needed by the target role install solar water heater skill
- not needed by the target role interpret 2D plans skill
- not needed by the target role interpret 3D plans skill
- not needed by the target role maintain work area cleanliness skill
- not needed by the target role operate welding equipment skill
- not needed by the target role place sanitary equipment skill
- not needed by the target role plumbing tools knowledge
- not needed by the target role prepare copper gas-lines pipes skill
- not needed by the target role protect surfaces during construction work skill
- not needed by the target role replace faucets skill
- not needed by the target role set up temporary construction site infrastructure skill
- not needed by the target role snap chalk line skill
- not needed by the target role types of heat pumps knowledge
- not needed by the target role use metal bending techniques skill
- not needed by the target role use sander skill
- not needed by the target role water pressure knowledge
4 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 mechanical systems required
- still to learn mechanics required
- optional, not held fertigation optional
- optional, not held sensors optional
Other moves recorded from plumber
- plumbing supervisor 63% covered · moderate
- kitchen unit installer 59% covered · moderate
- sprinkler fitter 57% covered · moderate
- bathroom fitter 57% covered · moderate
- paperhanger 52% covered · moderate
- ceiling installer 52% covered · moderate
- carpet fitter 51% covered · moderate
- resilient floor layer 50% covered · moderate
Common questions about this move
Can a plumber become an irrigation system installer?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. A plumber already covers 60% of what an irrigation system installer is expected to do: 18 skills carry over, 10 of which the irrigation system installer role treats as required.
What skills does a plumber need to become an irrigation system installer?
5 required skills are missing, plus 10 optional ones. They fall into 5 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by engineering, manufacturing and construction. The single most important is set up drip irrigation system.
How hard is the move from plumber to irrigation system installer?
Its learning distance is 43 out of 100, which is the moderate 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.