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

wave soldering machine operatortoprinted circuit board assembler

A wave soldering machine operator already meets 46% of what the printed circuit board assembler role asks for. The move turns on 7 required skills not yet in the profile.

From wave soldering machine operator
46%
Overlap1
To printed circuit board assembler
19 Skills carried over
7 Required, not held
59.1 Difficulty2
Career overlap Partial match

46%

Learning distance Substantial retraining

59.1/ 100

1 Share of the printed circuit board assembler role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the wave soldering machine 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.

Why

Why this move works

A printed circuit board assembler role treats 9 of its required skills as things a wave soldering machine operator already does. These are the ones it depends on most.

  • assemble printed circuit boards
  • ensure conformity to specifications
  • ensure public safety and security
  • interpret circuit diagrams
  • prepare board for soldering
  • printed circuit boards

What stands in the way is 7 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 19 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A printed circuit board assembler role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a wave soldering machine operator background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held prepare board for soldering handling and moving
  • already held clean printed circuit board handling and moving
  • already held operate wave soldering machine working with machinery and specialised equipment
  • already held through-hole technology engineering, manufacturing and construction
  • already held IPC standards engineering, manufacturing and construction
  • already held printed circuit boards testing methods information and communication technologies (icts)

All 19 carried skills, including the 9 the printed circuit board assembler role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 29 missing skills fall into 10 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 3 required, 3 supplementary
  • required, not held electronics required
  • required, not held integrated circuits required
  • required, not held semiconductors required
  • optional, not held electroplating optional
  • optional, not held maintenance operations optional
  • optional, not held microelectronics optional
02 working with machinery and specialised equipment 2 required, 6 supplementary
  • required, not held operate insertion mount machine required
  • required, not held coat printed circuit board required
  • optional, not held maintain microelectronics optional
  • optional, not held operate SMT placement equipment optional
  • optional, not held operate printing machinery optional
  • optional, not held operate precision machinery optional
  • optional, not held replace defect components optional
  • optional, not held use diagnostic tools for electronic repairs optional
03 management skills 1 required
  • required, not held meet deadlines required
04 working with computers 1 required
  • required, not held apply through-hole technology manually required
05 arts and humanities 5 supplementary
  • optional, not held 3D printing process optional
  • optional, not held maintenance of printing machines optional
  • optional, not held printing materials optional
  • optional, not held printing on large scale machines optional
  • optional, not held printing techniques optional
06 handling and moving 3 supplementary
  • optional, not held pack electronic equipment optional
  • optional, not held clean components during assembly optional
  • optional, not held dispose of hazardous waste optional

4 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a printed circuit board assembler 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 19 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held assemble printed circuit boards skill
  • already held ensure conformity to specifications skill
  • already held ensure public safety and security skill
  • already held interpret circuit diagrams skill
  • already held prepare board for soldering skill
  • already held printed circuit boards knowledge
  • already held read assembly drawings skill
  • already held solder components onto electronic board skill
  • already held through-hole technology knowledge
  • already held IPC standards knowledge
  • already held check for solder defects skill
  • already held clean printed circuit board skill
  • already held keep records of work progress skill
  • already held operate wave soldering machine skill
  • already held oversee logistics of finished products skill
  • already held printed circuit boards testing methods knowledge
  • already held resolve equipment malfunctions skill
  • already held surface-mount technology knowledge
  • already held test printed circuit boards skill
The 4 learning areas not shown above
Skill to acquire Tier
07 communication, collaboration and creativity 2 supplementary
  • optional, not held operate 3D computer graphics software optional
  • optional, not held determine suitability of materials optional
08 constructing 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held test microelectronics optional
09 information and communication technologies (icts) 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held microprocessors optional
10 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held electrochemistry optional
22 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to acquire Tier
  • optional, not held 3D printing process optional
  • optional, not held electrochemistry optional
  • optional, not held maintain microelectronics optional
  • optional, not held maintenance of printing machines optional
  • optional, not held operate 3D computer graphics software optional
  • optional, not held operate SMT placement equipment optional
  • optional, not held operate printing machinery optional
  • optional, not held pack electronic equipment optional
  • optional, not held printing materials optional
  • optional, not held printing on large scale machines optional
  • optional, not held test microelectronics optional
  • optional, not held clean components during assembly optional
  • optional, not held determine suitability of materials optional
  • optional, not held dispose of hazardous waste optional
  • optional, not held electroplating optional
  • optional, not held maintenance operations optional
  • optional, not held microelectronics optional
  • optional, not held microprocessors optional
  • optional, not held operate precision machinery optional
  • optional, not held printing techniques optional
  • optional, not held replace defect components optional
  • optional, not held use diagnostic tools for electronic repairs optional
14 held skills the printed circuit board assembler 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 apply technical communication skills skill
  • not needed by the target role dispose of soldering waste skill
  • not needed by the target role inspect quality of products skill
  • not needed by the target role maintain furnace temperature skill
  • not needed by the target role measure furnace temperature skill
  • not needed by the target role monitor machine operations skill
  • not needed by the target role quality standards knowledge
  • not needed by the target role read standard blueprints skill
  • not needed by the target role repair electronic components skill
  • not needed by the target role report defective manufacturing materials skill
  • not needed by the target role temperature scales knowledge
  • not needed by the target role use CAM software skill
  • not needed by the target role write records for repairs 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.

Skill to acquire Tier
  • required, not held electronics required
  • required, not held integrated circuits required
  • required, not held semiconductors required
  • optional, not held 3D printing process optional
  • optional, not held electrochemistry optional
  • optional, not held maintenance of printing machines optional
  • optional, not held printing materials optional
  • optional, not held printing on large scale machines optional
  • optional, not held electroplating optional
  • optional, not held maintenance operations optional
  • optional, not held microelectronics optional
  • optional, not held microprocessors optional
  • optional, not held printing techniques optional
Index

Other moves recorded from wave soldering machine operator

Full index of moves from wave soldering machine operator

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.