Career Overlap Transition record
RecordMove

Ship duty engineer to diesel engine mechanic

A ship duty engineer already meets 26% of what the diesel engine mechanic role asks for. The move turns on 14 required skills not yet in the profile.

Fig. 1 · Skill transfer ESCO v1.2.1 · directional
From ship duty engineer
26 % overlap
Distant match
To diesel engine mechanic
8 You already bring
14 Still to learn
42 Skills in the target role2
Learning distance A rebuild

75.5/ 100

1 How much of what a diesel engine mechanic is expected to do is already part of a ship duty engineer’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 diesel engine mechanic role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.

Why

Why this move works

A diesel engine mechanic role treats 7 of its required skills as things a ship duty engineer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.

  • engine components
  • evaluate engine performance
  • mechanics
  • operation of different engines
  • physics
  • principles of combustion engines

What stands in the way is 14 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 8 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A diesel engine mechanic role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a ship duty engineer background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held principles of combustion engines engineering, manufacturing and construction
  • already held maintain vessel engine room constructing
  • already held evaluate engine performance information skills
  • already held principles of mechanical engineering engineering, manufacturing and construction
  • already held operation of different engines engineering, manufacturing and construction
  • already held engine components engineering, manufacturing and construction

All 8 carried skills, including the 7 the diesel engine mechanic role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you may need to learn

The 34 missing skills fall into 9 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.

Skill to pick up Tier
01 working with machinery and specialised equipment 5 required, 3 supplementary
  • still to learn comply with factory specifications in engine repair required
  • still to learn disassemble engines required
  • still to learn re-assemble engines required
  • still to learn bolt engine parts required
  • still to learn repair engines required
  • optional, not held install transport equipment engines optional
  • optional, not held perform maintenance on locomotives optional
  • optional, not held maintain electrical engines optional
02 handling and moving 3 required, 1 supplementary
  • still to learn perform manual work autonomously required
  • still to learn maintain work area cleanliness required
  • still to learn use traditional toolbox tools required
  • optional, not held clean vehicle engine optional
03 assisting and caring 2 required
  • still to learn comply with legal regulations required
  • still to learn wear appropriate protective gear required
04 engineering, manufacturing and construction 1 required, 6 supplementary
  • still to learn hydraulics required
  • optional, not held automotive diagnostic equipment optional
  • optional, not held mechanics of vessels optional
  • optional, not held rail infrastructure optional
  • optional, not held aircraft mechanics optional
  • optional, not held mechanics of motor vehicles optional
  • optional, not held mechanics of trains optional
05 constructing 1 required, 3 supplementary
  • still to learn adjust tightness of engine parts required
  • optional, not held perform routine maintenance on railway engines optional
  • optional, not held use automotive diagnostic equipment optional
  • optional, not held lubricate engines optional
06 information skills 1 required, 1 supplementary
  • still to learn diagnose defective engines required
  • optional, not held check train engines optional

3 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a diesel engine mechanic 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 8 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held engine components knowledge
  • already held evaluate engine performance skill
  • already held mechanics knowledge
  • already held operation of different engines knowledge
  • already held physics knowledge
  • already held principles of combustion engines knowledge
  • already held principles of mechanical engineering knowledge
  • already held maintain vessel engine room skill
The 3 learning areas not shown above
Skill to pick up Tier
07 services 1 required, 1 supplementary
  • still to learn health and safety measures in transportation required
  • optional, not held mechanics of trolley buses optional
08 communication, collaboration and creativity 4 supplementary
  • optional, not held identify customer's needs optional
  • optional, not held provide customer information related to repairs optional
  • optional, not held create solutions to problems optional
  • optional, not held execute working instructions optional
09 management skills 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held issue sales invoices optional
20 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to pick up Tier
  • optional, not held automotive diagnostic equipment optional
  • optional, not held check train engines optional
  • optional, not held clean vehicle engine optional
  • optional, not held identify customer's needs optional
  • optional, not held install transport equipment engines optional
  • optional, not held issue sales invoices optional
  • optional, not held mechanics of trolley buses optional
  • optional, not held mechanics of vessels optional
  • optional, not held perform maintenance on locomotives optional
  • optional, not held perform routine maintenance on railway engines optional
  • optional, not held provide customer information related to repairs optional
  • optional, not held rail infrastructure optional
  • optional, not held use automotive diagnostic equipment optional
  • optional, not held aircraft mechanics optional
  • optional, not held create solutions to problems optional
  • optional, not held execute working instructions optional
  • optional, not held lubricate engines optional
  • optional, not held maintain electrical engines optional
  • optional, not held mechanics of motor vehicles optional
  • optional, not held mechanics of trains optional
30 held skills the diesel engine mechanic role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role Global Maritime Distress and Safety System knowledge
  • not needed by the target role International Maritime Organisation conventions knowledge
  • not needed by the target role act reliably skill
  • not needed by the target role analyse work-related written reports skill
  • not needed by the target role apply vessel engine regulations skill
  • not needed by the target role detect malfunctions in engines skill
  • not needed by the target role follow written instructions skill
  • not needed by the target role inspect engine rooms skill
  • not needed by the target role liaise with colleagues skill
  • not needed by the target role maintain vessel inventory skill
  • not needed by the target role manage safety standards for maritime water transport skill
  • not needed by the target role manage second level engines skill
  • not needed by the target role manage vessel engines and systems skill
  • not needed by the target role maritime law knowledge
  • not needed by the target role moor vessels skill
  • not needed by the target role operate diesel propulsion plants skill
  • not needed by the target role operate maritime communication equipment skill
  • not needed by the target role operate vessel engine room skill
  • not needed by the target role perform bunkering skill
  • not needed by the target role perform routine maintenance of ship engines skill
  • not needed by the target role prepare engine room for operation skill
  • not needed by the target role provide support in vessel machinery systems skill
  • not needed by the target role repair vessel mechanical systems skill
  • not needed by the target role ship hull engineering knowledge
  • not needed by the target role stay up-to-date with maritime transportation technology skill
  • not needed by the target role unmoor vessels skill
  • not needed by the target role use different communication channels skill
  • not needed by the target role use maritime English skill
  • not needed by the target role work in a water transport team skill
  • not needed by the target role write work-related reports skill
9 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 pick up Tier
  • still to learn health and safety measures in transportation required
  • still to learn hydraulics required
  • optional, not held automotive diagnostic equipment optional
  • optional, not held mechanics of trolley buses optional
  • optional, not held mechanics of vessels optional
  • optional, not held rail infrastructure optional
  • optional, not held aircraft mechanics optional
  • optional, not held mechanics of motor vehicles optional
  • optional, not held mechanics of trains optional
Index

Other moves recorded from ship duty engineer

Full index of moves from ship duty engineer

FAQ

Common questions about this move

Can a ship duty engineer become a diesel engine mechanic?

Yes, and it is a career change move. A ship duty engineer already covers 26% of what a diesel engine mechanic is expected to do: 8 skills carry over, 7 of which the diesel engine mechanic role treats as required.

What skills does a ship duty engineer need to become a diesel engine mechanic?

14 required skills are missing, plus 20 optional ones. They fall into 9 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by working with machinery and specialised equipment. The single most important is comply with factory specifications in engine repair.

How hard is the move from ship duty engineer to diesel engine mechanic?

Its learning distance is 75.5 out of 100, which is the career change band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.

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.