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

thermal engineertosteam engineer

A thermal engineer already meets 42% of what the steam engineer role asks for. The move turns on 8 required skills not yet in the profile.

From thermal engineer
42%
Overlap1
To steam engineer
10 Skills carried over
8 Required, not held
57.3 Difficulty2
Career overlap Partial match

42%

Learning distance Substantial retraining

57.3/ 100

1 Share of the steam engineer role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the thermal 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 steam engineer role treats 8 of its required skills as things a thermal engineer already does. These are the ones it depends on most.

  • adjust engineering designs
  • approve engineering design
  • engineering principles
  • engineering processes
  • perform scientific research
  • technical drawings

What stands in the way is 8 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 10 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A steam engineer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a thermal engineer background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held thermodynamics natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
  • already held approve engineering design communication, collaboration and creativity
  • already held use testing equipment working with machinery and specialised equipment
  • already held CAD software information and communication technologies (icts)
  • already held use technical drawing software working with computers
  • already held technical drawings engineering, manufacturing and construction

All 10 carried skills, including the 8 the steam engineer role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 20 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 engineering, manufacturing and construction 6 required, 2 supplementary
  • required, not held manufacturing of steam generators required
  • required, not held energy required
  • required, not held energy market required
  • required, not held heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration parts required
  • required, not held hydraulics required
  • required, not held refrigerants required
  • optional, not held automation technology optional
  • optional, not held electricity optional
02 communication, collaboration and creativity 1 required, 2 supplementary
  • required, not held design utility equipment required
  • optional, not held design automation components optional
  • optional, not held resolve equipment malfunctions optional
03 constructing 1 required, 1 supplementary
  • required, not held monitor utility equipment required
  • optional, not held perform maintenance on installed equipment optional
04 working with machinery and specialised equipment 4 supplementary
  • optional, not held operate hydraulic machinery controls optional
  • optional, not held operate steam turbine optional
  • optional, not held monitor automated machines optional
  • optional, not held operate automated process control optional
05 assisting and caring 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held use personal protection equipment optional
06 information skills 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held balance hydraulics of hot water systems optional

1 further area in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a steam 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 10 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 perform scientific research skill
  • already held technical drawings knowledge
  • already held thermodynamics knowledge
  • already held use technical drawing software skill
  • already held CAD software knowledge
  • already held use testing equipment skill
The 1 learning area not shown above
Skill to acquire Tier
07 working with computers 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held use CAD software optional
12 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to acquire Tier
  • optional, not held balance hydraulics of hot water systems optional
  • optional, not held operate hydraulic machinery controls optional
  • optional, not held operate steam turbine optional
  • optional, not held automation technology optional
  • optional, not held design automation components optional
  • optional, not held electricity optional
  • optional, not held monitor automated machines optional
  • optional, not held operate automated process control optional
  • optional, not held perform maintenance on installed equipment optional
  • optional, not held resolve equipment malfunctions optional
  • optional, not held use CAD software optional
  • optional, not held use personal protection equipment optional
44 held skills the steam engineer role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role assess energy consumption of ventilation systems skill
  • not needed by the target role combined heat and power generation knowledge
  • not needed by the target role communicate with customers skill
  • not needed by the target role computational fluid dynamics knowledge
  • not needed by the target role design a solar absorption cooling system skill
  • not needed by the target role design a solar heating system skill
  • not needed by the target role design an electric heating system skill
  • not needed by the target role design engineering components skill
  • not needed by the target role design firmware skill
  • not needed by the target role design heat pump installations skill
  • not needed by the target role design hot water systems skill
  • not needed by the target role design passive energy measures skill
  • not needed by the target role design prototypes skill
  • not needed by the target role design thermal equipment skill
  • not needed by the target role design thermal requirements skill
  • not needed by the target role develop product design skill
  • not needed by the target role develop software prototype skill
  • not needed by the target role distribution of heating cooling and hot water knowledge
  • not needed by the target role ensure equipment cooling skill
  • not needed by the target role fluid mechanics knowledge
  • not needed by the target role follow company standards skill
  • not needed by the target role heat transfer processes knowledge
  • not needed by the target role identify fitted source for heat pumps skill
  • not needed by the target role interpret 2D plans skill
  • not needed by the target role interpret 3D plans skill
  • not needed by the target role manage engineering project skill
  • not needed by the target role mechanical engineering knowledge
  • not needed by the target role mechanics knowledge
  • not needed by the target role operate climate control skill
  • not needed by the target role operate solar thermal energy systems for hot water and heating skill
  • not needed by the target role oversee quality control skill
  • not needed by the target role perform a feasibility study on combined heat and power skill
  • not needed by the target role perform a feasibility study on electric heating skill
  • not needed by the target role perform a feasibility study on heat pumps skill
  • not needed by the target role perform feasibility study on solar heating skill
  • not needed by the target role power engineering knowledge
  • not needed by the target role provide information on geothermal heat pumps skill
  • not needed by the target role report test findings skill
  • not needed by the target role sustainable technologies knowledge
  • not needed by the target role thermal materials knowledge

4 further entries not listed here

8 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 manufacturing of steam generators required
  • required, not held energy required
  • required, not held energy market required
  • required, not held heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration parts required
  • required, not held hydraulics required
  • required, not held refrigerants required
  • optional, not held automation technology optional
  • optional, not held electricity optional
Index

Other moves recorded from thermal engineer

Full index of moves from thermal 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.