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

water plant techniciantowastewater treatment operator

A water plant technician already meets 71% of what the wastewater treatment operator role asks for. The move turns on 4 required skills not yet in the profile.

From water plant technician
71%
Overlap1
To wastewater treatment operator
23 Skills carried over
4 Required, not held
31 Difficulty2
adjacent 0–30
moderate 30–55
substantial 55–75
career change 75–100
this move, 31

This move: 31 of 100 · moderate

1 Share of the wastewater treatment operator role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the water plant technician 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 wastewater treatment operator role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a water plant technician 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 operate water purifying equipment working with machinery and specialised equipment
  • already held ensure proper water storage information skills
  • already held maintain water distribution equipment constructing

All 23 carried skills, including the 11 the wastewater treatment operator role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 10 missing skills fall into 5 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 handling and moving 2 required, 1 supplementary
  • required, not held collect samples required
  • required, not held dispose of sewage sludge required
  • optional, not held prepare samples for testing optional
02 information skills 2 required, 1 supplementary
  • required, not held perform water chemistry analysis required
  • required, not held interpret scientific data to assess water quality required
  • optional, not held perform sample testing optional
03 working with machinery and specialised equipment 2 supplementary
  • optional, not held operate pumping equipment optional
  • optional, not held operate sewage treatment plans on ships optional
04 assisting and caring 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held apply health and safety standards optional
05 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held laboratory techniques optional
Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a wastewater treatment operator 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 carry out waste water treatment skill
  • already held document analysis results skill
  • already held maintain water treatment equipment skill
  • already held measure water quality parameters skill
  • already held monitor water quality 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 use water disinfection equipment skill
  • already held water chemistry analysis knowledge
  • already held ensure compliance with environmental legislation skill
  • already held ensure equipment maintenance skill
  • already held ensure proper water storage skill
  • already held maintain desalination control system skill
  • already held maintain specified water characteristics skill
  • already held maintain water distribution equipment skill
  • already held manage desalination control system skill
  • already held operate hydraulic machinery controls skill
  • already held test samples for pollutants skill
  • already held use personal protection equipment skill
  • already held water policies knowledge
  • already held water reuse knowledge
6 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to acquire Tier
  • optional, not held operate pumping equipment optional
  • optional, not held operate sewage treatment plans on ships optional
  • optional, not held apply health and safety standards optional
  • optional, not held laboratory techniques optional
  • optional, not held perform sample testing optional
  • optional, not held prepare samples for testing optional
12 held skills the wastewater treatment operator role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role collect samples for analysis skill
  • not needed by the target role ensure equipment availability skill
  • not needed by the target role follow water supply schedule skill
  • not needed by the target role install hydraulic systems skill
  • not needed by the target role install plumbing systems skill
  • not needed by the target role maintain records of maintenance interventions skill
  • not needed by the target role maintain water storage equipment skill
  • not needed by the target role operate pumping systems skill
  • not needed by the target role perform laboratory tests skill
  • not needed by the target role perform water testing procedures skill
  • not needed by the target role troubleshoot skill
  • not needed by the target role water pressure knowledge
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
  • optional, not held laboratory techniques optional
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.