Table 1Transition record

printed circuit board assemblertosemiconductor processor

A printed circuit board assembler already meets 34% of what the semiconductor processor role asks for. The move turns on 15 required skills not yet in the profile.

From printed circuit board assembler

34%

Overlap1

To semiconductor processor

15 Skills carried over

15 Required, not held

71.5 Difficulty2

Career overlap Distant match

34%

Learning distance Substantial retraining

71.5/ 100

Easy adjacentmoderatesubstantialcareer change Hard

1 Share of the semiconductor processor role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the printed circuit board assembler profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Why

Why this move works

A semiconductor processor role treats 7 of its required skills as things a printed circuit board assembler already does. These are the ones it depends on most.

electronics
ensure conformity to specifications
integrated circuits
meet deadlines
microelectronics
read assembly drawings

What stands in the way is 15 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 15 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A semiconductor processor role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a printed circuit board assembler background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held integrated circuits engineering, manufacturing and construction
already held semiconductors engineering, manufacturing and construction
already held operate precision machinery working with machinery and specialised equipment
already held oversee logistics of finished products management skills
already held microelectronics engineering, manufacturing and construction
already held interpret circuit diagrams information skills

All 15 carried skills, including the 7 the semiconductor processor role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 26 missing skills fall into 11 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier

01 information skills 4 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held measure parts of manufactured products required
required, not held monitor machine operations required
required, not held monitor manufacturing quality standards required
required, not held report defective manufacturing materials required

optional, not held inspect quality of products optional

02 handling and moving 4 required

required, not held clean wafers required
required, not held load electronic circuits onto wafers required
required, not held polish wafers required
required, not held remove defective products required

03 working with machinery and specialised equipment 3 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held imprint circuit design onto wafers required
required, not held produce semiconductor crystals required
required, not held slice crystals into wafers required

optional, not held adjust manufacturing equipment optional
optional, not held repair electronic components optional

04 constructing 1 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held inspect semiconductor components required

optional, not held test semiconductors optional
optional, not held apply coating to electrical equipment optional

05 assisting and caring 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held wear cleanroom suit required

optional, not held apply health and safety standards optional

06 engineering, manufacturing and construction 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held LED lighting components required

optional, not held integrated circuit types optional

5 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a semiconductor processor role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 15 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held electronics knowledge
already held ensure conformity to specifications skill
already held integrated circuits knowledge
already held meet deadlines skill
already held microelectronics knowledge
already held read assembly drawings skill
already held semiconductors knowledge
already held dispose of hazardous waste skill
already held ensure public safety and security skill
already held interpret circuit diagrams skill
already held keep records of work progress skill
already held operate precision machinery skill
already held oversee logistics of finished products skill
already held replace defect components skill
already held resolve equipment malfunctions skill

The 5 learning areas not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 1 required

required, not held microassembly required

08 business, administration and law 1 supplementary

optional, not held quality standards optional

09 communication, collaboration and creativity 1 supplementary

optional, not held apply technical communication skills optional

10 management skills 1 supplementary

optional, not held carry out shipping orders for parts optional

11 services 1 supplementary

optional, not held waste removal regulations optional

11 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held test semiconductors optional
optional, not held apply coating to electrical equipment optional
optional, not held carry out shipping orders for parts optional
optional, not held integrated circuit types optional
optional, not held waste removal regulations optional
optional, not held adjust manufacturing equipment optional
optional, not held apply health and safety standards optional
optional, not held apply technical communication skills optional
optional, not held inspect quality of products optional
optional, not held quality standards optional
optional, not held repair electronic components optional

33 held skills the semiconductor processor role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role 3D printing process knowledge
not needed by the target role IPC standards knowledge
not needed by the target role apply through-hole technology manually skill
not needed by the target role assemble printed circuit boards skill
not needed by the target role check for solder defects skill
not needed by the target role clean components during assembly skill
not needed by the target role clean printed circuit board skill
not needed by the target role coat printed circuit board skill
not needed by the target role determine suitability of materials skill
not needed by the target role electrochemistry knowledge
not needed by the target role electroplating knowledge
not needed by the target role maintain microelectronics skill
not needed by the target role maintenance of printing machines knowledge
not needed by the target role maintenance operations knowledge
not needed by the target role microprocessors knowledge
not needed by the target role operate 3D computer graphics software skill
not needed by the target role operate SMT placement equipment skill
not needed by the target role operate insertion mount machine skill
not needed by the target role operate printing machinery skill
not needed by the target role operate wave soldering machine skill
not needed by the target role pack electronic equipment skill
not needed by the target role prepare board for soldering skill
not needed by the target role printed circuit boards knowledge
not needed by the target role printed circuit boards testing methods knowledge
not needed by the target role printing materials knowledge
not needed by the target role printing on large scale machines knowledge
not needed by the target role printing techniques knowledge
not needed by the target role solder components onto electronic board skill
not needed by the target role surface-mount technology knowledge
not needed by the target role test microelectronics skill
not needed by the target role test printed circuit boards skill
not needed by the target role through-hole technology knowledge
not needed by the target role use diagnostic tools for electronic repairs skill

5 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to acquire Tier

required, not held LED lighting components required
required, not held microassembly required
optional, not held integrated circuit types optional
optional, not held waste removal regulations optional
optional, not held quality standards optional

Index

Other moves recorded from printed circuit board assembler

Full index of moves from printed circuit board assembler

Note

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.