Table 1Transition record

surface-mount technology machine operatortoprinted circuit board assembler

A surface-mount technology machine operator already meets 53% of what the printed circuit board assembler role asks for. The move turns on 6 required skills not yet in the profile.

From surface-mount technology machine operator

53%

Overlap1

To printed circuit board assembler

23 Skills carried over

6 Required, not held

52.8 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 52.8

This move: 52.8 of 100 · moderate

1 Share of the printed circuit board assembler role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the surface-mount technology machine 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.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 23 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A printed circuit board assembler role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a surface-mount technology machine operator background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held coat printed circuit board working with machinery and specialised equipment
already held prepare board for soldering handling and moving
already held clean printed circuit board handling and moving
already held operate SMT placement equipment working with machinery and specialised equipment
already held operate wave soldering machine working with machinery and specialised equipment
already held IPC standards engineering, manufacturing and construction

All 23 carried skills, including the 10 the printed circuit board assembler role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 25 missing skills fall into 10 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 engineering, manufacturing and construction 3 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held through-hole technology required
required, not held integrated circuits required
required, not held semiconductors required

optional, not held electroplating optional
optional, not held maintenance operations optional

02 working with machinery and specialised equipment 1 required, 3 supplementary

required, not held operate insertion mount machine required

optional, not held maintain microelectronics optional
optional, not held operate printing machinery optional
optional, not held operate precision machinery optional

03 management skills 1 required

required, not held meet deadlines required

04 working with computers 1 required

required, not held apply through-hole technology manually required

05 arts and humanities 5 supplementary

optional, not held 3D printing process optional
optional, not held maintenance of printing machines optional
optional, not held printing materials optional
optional, not held printing on large scale machines optional
optional, not held printing techniques optional

06 communication, collaboration and creativity 2 supplementary

optional, not held operate 3D computer graphics software optional
optional, not held determine suitability of materials optional

4 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a printed circuit board assembler 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 23 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held assemble printed circuit boards skill
already held coat printed circuit board skill
already held electronics knowledge
already held ensure conformity to specifications skill
already held ensure public safety and security skill
already held interpret circuit diagrams skill
already held prepare board for soldering skill
already held printed circuit boards knowledge
already held read assembly drawings skill
already held solder components onto electronic board skill
already held IPC standards knowledge
already held check for solder defects skill
already held clean printed circuit board skill
already held dispose of hazardous waste skill
already held keep records of work progress skill
already held microelectronics knowledge
already held operate SMT placement equipment skill
already held operate wave soldering machine skill
already held oversee logistics of finished products skill
already held replace defect components skill
already held resolve equipment malfunctions skill
already held surface-mount technology knowledge
already held use diagnostic tools for electronic repairs skill

The 4 learning areas not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 constructing 2 supplementary

optional, not held test microelectronics optional
optional, not held test printed circuit boards optional

08 handling and moving 2 supplementary

optional, not held pack electronic equipment optional
optional, not held clean components during assembly optional

09 information and communication technologies (icts) 2 supplementary

optional, not held microprocessors optional
optional, not held printed circuit boards testing methods optional

10 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 1 supplementary

optional, not held electrochemistry optional

19 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held 3D printing process optional
optional, not held electrochemistry optional
optional, not held maintain microelectronics optional
optional, not held maintenance of printing machines optional
optional, not held operate 3D computer graphics software optional
optional, not held operate printing machinery optional
optional, not held pack electronic equipment optional
optional, not held printing materials optional
optional, not held printing on large scale machines optional
optional, not held test microelectronics optional
optional, not held test printed circuit boards optional
optional, not held clean components during assembly optional
optional, not held determine suitability of materials optional
optional, not held electroplating optional
optional, not held maintenance operations optional
optional, not held microprocessors optional
optional, not held operate precision machinery optional
optional, not held printed circuit boards testing methods optional
optional, not held printing techniques optional

13 held skills the printed circuit board assembler role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role apply health and safety standards skill
not needed by the target role apply technical communication skills skill
not needed by the target role carry out shipping orders for parts skill
not needed by the target role inspect quality of products skill
not needed by the target role maintain electronic systems skill
not needed by the target role monitor machine operations skill
not needed by the target role operate automated optical inspection machine skill
not needed by the target role provide power connection from bus bars skill
not needed by the target role quality standards knowledge
not needed by the target role read standard blueprints skill
not needed by the target role repair electronic components skill
not needed by the target role report defective manufacturing materials skill
not needed by the target role use CAM software skill

13 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 through-hole technology required
required, not held integrated circuits required
required, not held semiconductors required
optional, not held 3D printing process optional
optional, not held electrochemistry optional
optional, not held maintenance of printing machines optional
optional, not held printing materials optional
optional, not held printing on large scale machines optional
optional, not held electroplating optional
optional, not held maintenance operations optional
optional, not held microprocessors optional
optional, not held printed circuit boards testing methods optional
optional, not held printing techniques optional

Index

Other moves recorded from surface-mount technology machine operator

Full index of moves from surface-mount technology machine 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.