Career Overlap Transition record Edition 1 · ESCO v1.2.1
Table 1Transition record

wastewater treatment operatortowater plant technician

A wastewater treatment operator already meets 66% of what the water plant technician role asks for. The move turns on 4 required skills not yet in the profile.

From wastewater treatment operator
66%
Overlap1
To water plant technician
23 Skills carried over
4 Required, not held
35 Difficulty2
adjacent 0–30
moderate 30–55
substantial 55–75
career change 75–100
this move, 35

This move: 35 of 100 · moderate

1 Share of the water plant technician role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the wastewater treatment 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 water plant technician role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a wastewater treatment operator background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held maintain specified water characteristics working with machinery and specialised equipment
  • already held maintain desalination control system working with machinery and specialised equipment
  • already held manage desalination control system working with machinery and specialised equipment
  • already held maintain water distribution equipment constructing
  • already held ensure proper water storage information skills
  • already held operate water purifying equipment working with machinery and specialised equipment

All 23 carried skills, including the 8 the water plant technician role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 12 missing skills fall into 7 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 constructing 1 required, 2 supplementary
  • required, not held maintain water storage equipment required
  • optional, not held install hydraulic systems optional
  • optional, not held install plumbing systems optional
02 working with machinery and specialised equipment 1 required, 1 supplementary
  • required, not held operate pumping systems required
  • optional, not held perform laboratory tests optional
03 communication, collaboration and creativity 1 required
  • required, not held troubleshoot required
04 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 1 required
  • required, not held water pressure required
05 information skills 2 supplementary
  • optional, not held maintain records of maintenance interventions optional
  • optional, not held perform water testing procedures optional
06 management skills 2 supplementary
  • optional, not held follow water supply schedule optional
  • optional, not held ensure equipment availability optional

1 further area in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a water plant technician 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 ensure compliance with environmental legislation skill
  • already held maintain specified water characteristics skill
  • already held maintain water distribution equipment skill
  • already held maintain water treatment equipment skill
  • already held measure water quality parameters skill
  • already held monitor water quality skill
  • already held operate hydraulic machinery controls skill
  • already held water policies knowledge
  • already held carry out waste water treatment skill
  • already held document analysis results skill
  • already held ensure equipment maintenance skill
  • already held ensure proper water storage skill
  • already held maintain desalination control system skill
  • already held manage desalination control system skill
  • already held operate water purifying equipment skill
  • already held percolation knowledge
  • already held perform water treatment procedures skill
  • already held perform water treatments skill
  • already held test samples for pollutants skill
  • already held use personal protection equipment skill
  • already held use water disinfection equipment skill
  • already held water chemistry analysis knowledge
  • already held water reuse knowledge
The 1 learning area not shown above
Skill to acquire Tier
07 handling and moving 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held collect samples for analysis optional
8 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to acquire Tier
  • optional, not held follow water supply schedule optional
  • optional, not held collect samples for analysis optional
  • optional, not held ensure equipment availability optional
  • optional, not held install hydraulic systems optional
  • optional, not held install plumbing systems optional
  • optional, not held maintain records of maintenance interventions optional
  • optional, not held perform laboratory tests optional
  • optional, not held perform water testing procedures optional
10 held skills the water plant technician 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 collect samples skill
  • not needed by the target role dispose of sewage sludge skill
  • not needed by the target role interpret scientific data to assess water quality skill
  • not needed by the target role laboratory techniques knowledge
  • not needed by the target role operate pumping equipment skill
  • not needed by the target role operate sewage treatment plans on ships skill
  • not needed by the target role perform sample testing skill
  • not needed by the target role perform water chemistry analysis skill
  • not needed by the target role prepare samples for testing skill
1 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 water pressure required
Index
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.