Vehicle maintenance attendant to vehicle technician
A vehicle maintenance attendant already meets 30% of what the vehicle technician role asks for. The move turns on 22 required skills not yet in the profile.
77.9/ 100
1 How much of what a vehicle technician is expected to do is already part of a vehicle maintenance attendant’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 vehicle technician role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A vehicle technician role treats 12 of its required skills as things a vehicle maintenance attendant already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- apply health and safety standards
- car controls
- execute working instructions
- follow procedures to control substances hazardous to health
- maintain vehicle records
- maintain work area cleanliness
What stands in the way is 22 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 17 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A vehicle technician role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a vehicle maintenance attendant background worth leading with.
- already held position vehicles for maintenance and repair handling and moving
- already held fix minor vehicle scratches handling and moving
- already held perform minor vehicle repairs working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held maintain vehicle records information skills
- already held perform technical tasks with great care working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held car controls services
All 17 carried skills, including the 12 the vehicle technician role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 49 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 automotive diagnostic equipment required
- still to learn components of air conditioning systems required
- still to learn hybrid vehicle architecture required
- still to learn mechanical components of vehicles required
- still to learn mechanical requirements for vehicles in urban areas required
- still to learn vehicle electrical systems required
- still to learn emission standards required
- still to learn principles of mechanical engineering required
- optional, not held operation of different engines optional
- optional, not held electrical wiring plans optional
- optional, not held engine components optional
- optional, not held types of vehicle engines optional
- still to learn perform vehicle tests required
- still to learn diagnose problems with vehicles required
- still to learn maintain updated professional knowledge required
- still to learn perform road testing of vehicles required
- optional, not held perform annual legal safety checks optional
- optional, not held keep stock records optional
- optional, not held maintain customer records optional
- optional, not held maintain professional records optional
- still to learn carry out repair of vehicles required
- still to learn carry out repairs and maintenance of vehicle bodies required
- still to learn repair vehicle electrical systems required
- optional, not held carry out repair of motorcycles optional
- optional, not held disassemble engines optional
- optional, not held maintain electrical engines optional
- optional, not held repair engines optional
- optional, not held replace tyres optional
- still to learn adapt to new technology used in cars required
- still to learn identify customer's needs required
- still to learn provide customer information related to repairs required
- optional, not held ensure compliance with warranty contracts optional
- optional, not held order supplies optional
- still to learn use automotive diagnostic equipment required
- optional, not held detect malfunctions in engines optional
- optional, not held maintain motor vehicle steering system optional
- optional, not held maintain suspension system optional
- optional, not held maintain vehicle appearance optional
- optional, not held adjust tightness of engine parts optional
- optional, not held lubricate engines optional
- optional, not held maintain braking system optional
- still to learn wear appropriate protective gear required
- optional, not held provide customer follow-up services optional
4 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a vehicle technician role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 perform vehicle tests practise this
- 02 adapt to new technology used in cars practise this
- 03 automotive diagnostic equipment study this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 17 skills that carry over
- already held apply health and safety standards skill
- already held car controls knowledge
- already held execute working instructions skill
- already held follow procedures to control substances hazardous to health skill
- already held maintain vehicle records skill
- already held maintain work area cleanliness skill
- already held mechanics knowledge
- already held perform manual work autonomously skill
- already held perform technical tasks with great care skill
- already held position vehicles for maintenance and repair skill
- already held teamwork principles knowledge
- already held types of vehicles knowledge
- already held drive vehicles skill
- already held ensure client orientation skill
- already held fix minor vehicle scratches skill
- already held issue sales invoices skill
- already held perform minor vehicle repairs skill
The 4 learning areas not shown above
- still to learn use traditional toolbox tools required
- optional, not held lift heavy weights optional
- still to learn health and safety measures in transportation required
- optional, not held have computer literacy optional
- optional, not held perform ICT troubleshooting optional
- optional, not held organise vehicle breakdown support optional
27 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held perform annual legal safety checks optional
- optional, not held carry out repair of motorcycles optional
- optional, not held detect malfunctions in engines optional
- optional, not held disassemble engines optional
- optional, not held keep stock records optional
- optional, not held maintain motor vehicle steering system optional
- optional, not held maintain suspension system optional
- optional, not held maintain vehicle appearance optional
- optional, not held operation of different engines optional
- optional, not held organise vehicle breakdown support optional
- optional, not held adjust tightness of engine parts optional
- optional, not held electrical wiring plans optional
- optional, not held engine components optional
- optional, not held ensure compliance with warranty contracts optional
- optional, not held have computer literacy optional
- optional, not held lift heavy weights optional
- optional, not held lubricate engines optional
- optional, not held maintain braking system optional
- optional, not held maintain customer records optional
- optional, not held maintain electrical engines optional
- optional, not held maintain professional records optional
- optional, not held order supplies optional
- optional, not held perform ICT troubleshooting optional
- optional, not held provide customer follow-up services optional
- optional, not held repair engines optional
- optional, not held replace tyres optional
- optional, not held types of vehicle engines optional
9 held skills the vehicle technician role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role carry out improvised vehicle repairs skill
- not needed by the target role execute vehicle maintenance skill
- not needed by the target role handle chemical cleaning agents skill
- not needed by the target role identify vehicles service requirements skill
- not needed by the target role maintain inventory of vehicle cleaning supplies skill
- not needed by the target role mechanical tools knowledge
- not needed by the target role order supplies for vehicle maintenance and repair skill
- not needed by the target role process payments skill
- not needed by the target role report accounts of the professional activity 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.
- still to learn automotive diagnostic equipment required
- still to learn components of air conditioning systems required
- still to learn hybrid vehicle architecture required
- still to learn mechanical components of vehicles required
- still to learn mechanical requirements for vehicles in urban areas required
- still to learn vehicle electrical systems required
- still to learn emission standards required
- still to learn health and safety measures in transportation required
- still to learn principles of mechanical engineering required
- optional, not held operation of different engines optional
- optional, not held electrical wiring plans optional
- optional, not held engine components optional
- optional, not held types of vehicle engines optional
Other moves recorded from vehicle maintenance attendant
Common questions about this move
Can a vehicle maintenance attendant become a vehicle technician?
Yes, and it is a career change move. A vehicle maintenance attendant already covers 30% of what a vehicle technician is expected to do: 17 skills carry over, 12 of which the vehicle technician role treats as required.
What skills does a vehicle maintenance attendant need to become a vehicle technician?
22 required skills are missing, plus 27 optional ones. They fall into 10 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by engineering, manufacturing and construction. The single most important is perform vehicle tests.
How hard is the move from vehicle maintenance attendant to vehicle technician?
Its learning distance is 77.9 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.