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

rail switchpersontoshunter

A rail switchperson already meets 20% of what the shunter role asks for. The move turns on 26 required skills not yet in the profile.

From rail switchperson
20%
Overlap1
To shunter
7 Skills carried over
26 Required, not held
83.9 Difficulty2
Career overlap Distant match

20%

Learning distance A rebuild

83.9/ 100

1 Share of the shunter role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the rail switchperson 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 shunter role treats 7 of its required skills as things a rail switchperson already does. These are the ones it depends on most.

  • enforce railway safety regulations
  • follow switching instructions in rail operations
  • operate railway switches
  • operate switching locomotives
  • shunt inbound loads
  • shunt outbound loads

What stands in the way is 26 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 7 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A shunter role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a rail switchperson background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held follow switching instructions in rail operations communication, collaboration and creativity
  • already held operate switching locomotives working with machinery and specialised equipment
  • already held operate railway switches working with machinery and specialised equipment
  • already held shunt rolling stock in marshalling yards working with machinery and specialised equipment
  • already held shunt outbound loads working with machinery and specialised equipment
  • already held enforce railway safety regulations assisting and caring

All 7 carried skills, including the 7 the shunter role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 32 missing skills fall into 11 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 working with machinery and specialised equipment 8 required
  • required, not held perform wagon coupling required
  • required, not held control train movement required
  • required, not held operate railway communication systems required
  • required, not held operate railway warning systems required
  • required, not held perform maintenance on locomotives required
  • required, not held drive vehicles required
  • required, not held operate radio equipment required
  • required, not held operate railway vehicles required
02 information skills 4 required, 2 supplementary
  • required, not held test the braking force of trains required
  • required, not held assess railway operations required
  • required, not held check train engines required
  • required, not held read railway circuit plans required
  • optional, not held compare shipment contents with waybill optional
  • optional, not held keep written records of cargo optional
03 engineering, manufacturing and construction 3 required, 2 supplementary
  • required, not held rail infrastructure required
  • required, not held mechanics of trains required
  • required, not held principles of mechanical engineering required
  • optional, not held electrical engineering optional
  • optional, not held electrical wiring plans optional
04 assisting and caring 3 required
  • required, not held comply with railway safety standards required
  • required, not held oversee operational safety on trains required
  • required, not held deal with challenging work conditions required
05 constructing 2 required
  • required, not held perform rail track inspections required
  • required, not held perform routine maintenance on railway engines required
06 services 2 required
  • required, not held dangers of marshalling activity required
  • required, not held train operating procedures required

5 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a shunter 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 7 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held enforce railway safety regulations skill
  • already held follow switching instructions in rail operations skill
  • already held operate railway switches skill
  • already held operate switching locomotives skill
  • already held shunt inbound loads skill
  • already held shunt outbound loads skill
  • already held shunt rolling stock in marshalling yards skill
The 5 learning areas not shown above
Skill to acquire Tier
07 business, administration and law 1 required
  • required, not held railway framework legislation required
08 communication, collaboration and creativity 1 required
  • required, not held use hand signal for transport procedures required
09 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 1 required
  • required, not held physical characteristics of railways required
10 working with computers 1 required
  • required, not held operate railway control panels required
11 handling and moving 2 supplementary
  • optional, not held assist in the movement of heavy loads optional
  • optional, not held load animals for transportation optional
6 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to acquire Tier
  • optional, not held compare shipment contents with waybill optional
  • optional, not held assist in the movement of heavy loads optional
  • optional, not held keep written records of cargo optional
  • optional, not held electrical engineering optional
  • optional, not held electrical wiring plans optional
  • optional, not held load animals for transportation optional
14 held skills the shunter role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role apply signalling control procedures skill
  • not needed by the target role cooperate with colleagues skill
  • not needed by the target role ensure compliance with railway regulation skill
  • not needed by the target role execute working instructions skill
  • not needed by the target role follow strict level crossing operating procedures skill
  • not needed by the target role handle stressful situations in the work place skill
  • not needed by the target role keep task records skill
  • not needed by the target role level crossing regulations knowledge
  • not needed by the target role manage rail yard resources skill
  • not needed by the target role operate railway lever frames skill
  • not needed by the target role signal box parts knowledge
  • not needed by the target role use handbrake skill
  • not needed by the target role use rigging tools skill
  • not needed by the target role use waterway traffic control systems skill
9 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 dangers of marshalling activity required
  • required, not held physical characteristics of railways required
  • required, not held rail infrastructure required
  • required, not held railway framework legislation required
  • required, not held train operating procedures required
  • required, not held mechanics of trains required
  • required, not held principles of mechanical engineering required
  • optional, not held electrical engineering optional
  • optional, not held electrical wiring plans optional
Index

Other moves recorded from rail switchperson

Full index of moves from rail switchperson

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.