Table 1Transition record

transport engineertosurface engineer

A transport engineer already meets 39% of what the surface engineer role asks for. The move turns on 6 required skills not yet in the profile.

From transport engineer

39%

Overlap1

To surface engineer

9 Skills carried over

6 Required, not held

60.1 Difficulty2

Career overlap Distant match

39%

Learning distance Substantial retraining

60.1/ 100

Easy adjacentmoderatesubstantialcareer change Hard

1 Share of the surface engineer role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the transport engineer 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 surface engineer role treats 9 of its required skills as things a transport engineer already does. These are the ones it depends on most.

adjust engineering designs
approve engineering design
engineering principles
engineering processes
execute analytical mathematical calculations
mathematics

What stands in the way is 6 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 9 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A surface engineer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a transport engineer background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held safety engineering engineering, manufacturing and construction
already held approve engineering design communication, collaboration and creativity
already held execute analytical mathematical calculations information skills
already held use technical drawing software working with computers
already held technical drawings engineering, manufacturing and construction
already held adjust engineering designs communication, collaboration and creativity

All 9 carried skills, including the 9 the surface engineer role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 29 missing skills fall into 8 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 4 required, 9 supplementary

required, not held industrial engineering required
required, not held manufacturing processes required
required, not held production processes required
required, not held surface engineering required

optional, not held ferrous metal processing optional
optional, not held mechanical engineering optional
optional, not held electrical engineering optional
optional, not held material mechanics optional
optional, not held non-destructive testing optional
optional, not held semiconductors optional
optional, not held soldering techniques optional
optional, not held types of metal optional
optional, not held welding techniques optional

02 information skills 1 required, 5 supplementary

required, not held perform scientific research required

optional, not held analyse stress resistance of materials optional
optional, not held analyse test data optional
optional, not held develop material testing procedures optional
optional, not held recognise signs of corrosion optional
optional, not held record test data optional

03 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 1 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held corrosion types required

optional, not held chemistry optional
optional, not held physics optional

04 constructing 2 supplementary

optional, not held apply phosphate coating to metal workpiece optional
optional, not held parkerise metal workpiece optional

05 working with machinery and specialised equipment 2 supplementary

optional, not held use non-destructive testing equipment optional
optional, not held galvanise metal workpiece optional

06 business, administration and law 1 supplementary

optional, not held environmental legislation optional

2 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a surface engineer 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 9 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held adjust engineering designs skill
already held approve engineering design skill
already held engineering principles knowledge
already held engineering processes knowledge
already held execute analytical mathematical calculations skill
already held mathematics knowledge
already held safety engineering knowledge
already held technical drawings knowledge
already held use technical drawing software skill

The 2 learning areas not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 information and communication technologies (icts) 1 supplementary

optional, not held computer simulation optional

08 services 1 supplementary

optional, not held hazardous waste types optional

23 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held apply phosphate coating to metal workpiece optional
optional, not held parkerise metal workpiece optional
optional, not held ferrous metal processing optional
optional, not held mechanical engineering optional
optional, not held use non-destructive testing equipment optional
optional, not held analyse stress resistance of materials optional
optional, not held analyse test data optional
optional, not held chemistry optional
optional, not held computer simulation optional
optional, not held develop material testing procedures optional
optional, not held electrical engineering optional
optional, not held environmental legislation optional
optional, not held galvanise metal workpiece optional
optional, not held hazardous waste types optional
optional, not held material mechanics optional
optional, not held non-destructive testing optional
optional, not held physics optional
optional, not held recognise signs of corrosion optional
optional, not held record test data optional
optional, not held semiconductors optional
optional, not held soldering techniques optional
optional, not held types of metal optional
optional, not held welding techniques optional

24 held skills the surface engineer role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role analyse transport studies skill
not needed by the target role apply transportation management concepts skill
not needed by the target role civil engineering knowledge
not needed by the target role construction methods knowledge
not needed by the target role design principles knowledge
not needed by the target role design transportation systems skill
not needed by the target role develop efficiency plans for logistics operations skill
not needed by the target role environmental engineering knowledge
not needed by the target role execute feasibility study skill
not needed by the target role follow health and safety procedures in construction skill
not needed by the target role green logistics knowledge
not needed by the target role health and safety regulations knowledge
not needed by the target role manage budgets skill
not needed by the target role multimodal transport logistics knowledge
not needed by the target role promote innovative infrastructure design skill
not needed by the target role promote the use of sustainable transport skill
not needed by the target role road transport legislation knowledge
not needed by the target role simulate transport problems skill
not needed by the target role traffic engineering knowledge
not needed by the target role transportation engineering knowledge
not needed by the target role transportation methods knowledge
not needed by the target role urban planning knowledge
not needed by the target role urban planning law knowledge
not needed by the target role use CAD software skill

19 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 corrosion types required
required, not held industrial engineering required
required, not held manufacturing processes required
required, not held production processes required
required, not held surface engineering required
optional, not held ferrous metal processing optional
optional, not held mechanical engineering optional
optional, not held chemistry optional
optional, not held computer simulation optional
optional, not held electrical engineering optional
optional, not held environmental legislation optional
optional, not held hazardous waste types optional
optional, not held material mechanics optional
optional, not held non-destructive testing optional
optional, not held physics optional
optional, not held semiconductors optional
optional, not held soldering techniques optional
optional, not held types of metal optional
optional, not held welding techniques optional

Index

Other moves recorded from transport engineer

Full index of moves from transport engineer

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.