Table 1Transition record

solar power plant operatortofossil-fuel power plant operator

A solar power plant operator already meets 51% of what the fossil-fuel power plant operator role asks for. The move turns on 8 required skills not yet in the profile.

From solar power plant operator

51%

Overlap1

To fossil-fuel power plant operator

21 Skills carried over

8 Required, not held

54 Difficulty2

Career overlap Partial match

51%

Learning distance Real move, short list to learn

54/ 100

Easy adjacentmoderatesubstantialcareer change Hard

1 Share of the fossil-fuel power plant operator role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the solar power plant operator 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 fossil-fuel power plant operator role treats 9 of its required skills as things a solar power plant operator already does. These are the ones it depends on most.

apply health and safety standards
electric current
electric generators
electrical power safety regulations
electricity
maintain electrical equipment

What stands in the way is 8 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 21 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A fossil-fuel power plant operator role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a solar power plant operator background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held operate steam turbine working with machinery and specialised equipment
already held replace large components working with machinery and specialised equipment
already held monitor electric generators constructing
already held coordinate electricity generation communication, collaboration and creativity
already held ensure compliance with electricity distribution schedule information skills
already held arrange equipment repairs management skills

All 21 carried skills, including the 9 the fossil-fuel power plant operator role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 22 missing skills fall into 6 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 working with machinery and specialised equipment 2 required, 5 supplementary

required, not held control steam flows required
required, not held operate boiler required

optional, not held operate ash handling equipment optional
optional, not held operate gas turbines optional
optional, not held close circuit breaker optional
optional, not held perform minor repairs to equipment optional
optional, not held tend compressor engine optional

02 engineering, manufacturing and construction 2 required, 3 supplementary

required, not held fossil-fuel power plant operations required
required, not held mechanics required

optional, not held natural gas optional
optional, not held energy conservation optional
optional, not held fossil fuels optional

03 constructing 2 required

required, not held monitor utility equipment required
required, not held monitor gauge required

04 communication, collaboration and creativity 1 required, 3 supplementary

required, not held troubleshoot required

optional, not held advise on equipment maintenance optional
optional, not held respond to emergency calls for repairs optional
optional, not held train employees optional

05 assisting and caring 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held regulate steam pressure required

optional, not held ensure compliance with environmental legislation optional

06 information skills 2 supplementary

optional, not held maintain system logs optional
optional, not held report on production results optional

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a fossil-fuel power plant operator 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 21 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held apply health and safety standards skill
already held electric current knowledge
already held electric generators knowledge
already held electrical power safety regulations knowledge
already held electricity knowledge
already held maintain electrical equipment skill
already held monitor electric generators skill
already held operate steam turbine skill
already held wear appropriate protective gear skill
already held arrange equipment repairs skill
already held coordinate electricity generation skill
already held electricity consumption knowledge
already held ensure compliance with electricity distribution schedule skill
already held ensure safety in electrical power operations skill
already held liaise with engineers skill
already held maintain records of maintenance interventions skill
already held read engineering drawings skill
already held replace large components skill
already held resolve equipment malfunctions skill
already held respond to electrical power contingencies skill
already held smart grids systems knowledge

14 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held operate ash handling equipment optional
optional, not held operate gas turbines optional
optional, not held close circuit breaker optional
optional, not held natural gas optional
optional, not held advise on equipment maintenance optional
optional, not held energy conservation optional
optional, not held ensure compliance with environmental legislation optional
optional, not held fossil fuels optional
optional, not held maintain system logs optional
optional, not held perform minor repairs to equipment optional
optional, not held report on production results optional
optional, not held respond to emergency calls for repairs optional
optional, not held tend compressor engine optional
optional, not held train employees optional

41 held skills the fossil-fuel power plant operator role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role address problems critically skill
not needed by the target role automation technology knowledge
not needed by the target role battery chemistry knowledge
not needed by the target role battery components knowledge
not needed by the target role battery fluids knowledge
not needed by the target role chemical products knowledge
not needed by the target role control temperature skill
not needed by the target role cooperate with colleagues skill
not needed by the target role develop strategies for electricity contingencies skill
not needed by the target role ensure equipment maintenance skill
not needed by the target role fuel gas knowledge
not needed by the target role gather data skill
not needed by the target role hydraulics knowledge
not needed by the target role hydroelectricity knowledge
not needed by the target role install concentrated solar power systems skill
not needed by the target role install electrical and electronic equipment skill
not needed by the target role install hydraulic systems skill
not needed by the target role install photovoltaic systems skill
not needed by the target role maintain concentrated solar power systems skill
not needed by the target role maintain hydraulic systems skill
not needed by the target role maintain photovoltaic systems skill
not needed by the target role maintain sensor equipment skill
not needed by the target role manage data skill
not needed by the target role maritime meteorology knowledge
not needed by the target role offshore constructions and facilities knowledge
not needed by the target role offshore renewable energy technologies knowledge
not needed by the target role operate battery test equipment skill
not needed by the target role operate hydraulic machinery controls skill
not needed by the target role operate hydraulic pumps skill
not needed by the target role operate hydrogen extraction equipment skill
not needed by the target role photovoltaic systems knowledge
not needed by the target role prevent marine pollution skill
not needed by the target role provide information on solar panels skill
not needed by the target role renewable energy knowledge
not needed by the target role repair battery components skill
not needed by the target role sensors knowledge
not needed by the target role set up machine controls skill
not needed by the target role solar energy knowledge
not needed by the target role statistical analysis system software knowledge
not needed by the target role survive at sea in the event of ship abandonment skill

1 further entry not listed here

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 fossil-fuel power plant operations required
required, not held mechanics required
optional, not held natural gas optional
optional, not held energy conservation optional
optional, not held fossil fuels optional

Index

Other moves recorded from solar power plant operator

Full index of moves from solar power plant operator

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.