Street lighting electrician to substation engineer
A street lighting electrician already meets 24% of what the substation engineer role asks for. The move turns on 20 required skills not yet in the profile.
77.3/ 100
1 How much of what a substation engineer is expected to do is already part of a street lighting electrician’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 substation engineer role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A substation engineer role treats 5 of its required skills as things a street lighting electrician already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- electric current
- electrical discharge
- electrical power safety regulations
- electricity consumption
- ensure safety in electrical power operations
What stands in the way is 20 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 substation engineer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a street lighting electrician background worth leading with.
- already held inspect overhead power lines constructing
- already held inspect underground power cables constructing
- already held transmission towers engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held test procedures in electricity transmission constructing
- already held ensure compliance with electricity distribution schedule information skills
- already held respond to electrical power contingencies working with machinery and specialised equipment
All 13 carried skills, including the 5 the substation engineer role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 32 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 engineering processes required
- still to learn mechanical engineering required
- still to learn electrical engineering required
- still to learn electricity principles required
- still to learn engineering principles required
- still to learn mechanics required
- still to learn technical drawings required
- optional, not held electric generators optional
- still to learn design electric power systems required
- still to learn adjust engineering designs required
- still to learn approve engineering design required
- optional, not held manage workflow processes optional
- still to learn inspect facility sites required
- still to learn make electrical calculations required
- still to learn perform scientific research required
- optional, not held assess financial viability optional
- still to learn manage engineering project required
- still to learn perform project management required
- optional, not held develop electricity distribution schedule optional
- optional, not held develop strategies for electricity contingencies optional
- optional, not held supervise electricity distribution operations optional
- still to learn ensure compliance with environmental legislation required
- still to learn ensure compliance with safety legislation required
- still to learn create CAD drawings required
- still to learn use technical drawing software required
4 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a substation engineer role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 design electric power systems practise this
- 02 engineering processes study this
- 03 inspect facility sites 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 13 skills that carry over
- already held electric current knowledge
- already held electrical discharge knowledge
- already held electrical power safety regulations knowledge
- already held electricity consumption knowledge
- already held ensure safety in electrical power operations skill
- already held ensure compliance with electricity distribution schedule skill
- already held inspect overhead power lines skill
- already held inspect underground power cables skill
- already held maintain electrical equipment skill
- already held respond to electrical power contingencies skill
- already held test procedures in electricity transmission skill
- already held transmission towers knowledge
- already held wear appropriate protective gear skill
The 4 learning areas not shown above
- still to learn operate electronic measuring instruments required
- optional, not held manage electricity transmission system optional
- optional, not held adjust voltage optional
- optional, not held install circuit breakers optional
- optional, not held electricity market optional
- optional, not held monitor electric generators optional
- optional, not held CAD software optional
12 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held develop electricity distribution schedule optional
- optional, not held develop strategies for electricity contingencies optional
- optional, not held manage electricity transmission system optional
- optional, not held monitor electric generators optional
- optional, not held supervise electricity distribution operations optional
- optional, not held CAD software optional
- optional, not held adjust voltage optional
- optional, not held assess financial viability optional
- optional, not held electric generators optional
- optional, not held electricity market optional
- optional, not held install circuit breakers optional
- optional, not held manage workflow processes optional
23 held skills the substation engineer role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role advise on safety improvements skill
- not needed by the target role apply airport lighting maintenance procedures skill
- not needed by the target role artificial lighting systems knowledge
- not needed by the target role assess areas for power line installation skill
- not needed by the target role calculate needs for construction supplies skill
- not needed by the target role comply with electrical safety regulations skill
- not needed by the target role ensure functionality of airport lighting systems skill
- not needed by the target role ensure safety of mobile electrical systems skill
- not needed by the target role follow safety procedures when working at heights skill
- not needed by the target role handle high voltage of airport lighting skill
- not needed by the target role handle veterinary emergencies skill
- not needed by the target role inspect construction supplies skill
- not needed by the target role install power lines skill
- not needed by the target role maintain automated lighting equipment skill
- not needed by the target role maintain lighting equipment skill
- not needed by the target role manage risk of lighting failure skill
- not needed by the target role power engineering knowledge
- not needed by the target role prevent technical problems with lighting equipment skill
- not needed by the target role read electricity meter skill
- not needed by the target role repair overhead power lines skill
- not needed by the target role repair underground power cables skill
- not needed by the target role supervise routine maintenance of airport lighting systems skill
- not needed by the target role work ergonomically skill
10 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 engineering processes required
- still to learn mechanical engineering required
- still to learn electrical engineering required
- still to learn electricity principles required
- still to learn engineering principles required
- still to learn mechanics required
- still to learn technical drawings required
- optional, not held CAD software optional
- optional, not held electric generators optional
- optional, not held electricity market optional
Other moves recorded from street lighting electrician
Common questions about this move
Can a street lighting electrician become a substation engineer?
Yes, and it is a career change move. A street lighting electrician already covers 24% of what a substation engineer is expected to do: 13 skills carry over, 5 of which the substation engineer role treats as required.
What skills does a street lighting electrician need to become a substation engineer?
20 required skills are missing, plus 12 optional ones. They fall into 10 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by engineering, manufacturing and construction. The single most important is design electric power systems.
How hard is the move from street lighting electrician to substation engineer?
Its learning distance is 77.3 out of 100, which is the career change 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.