17-2071.00 · Learning planner
Electrical Engineers: a task-based learning plan
Research, design, develop, test, or supervise the manufacturing and installation of electrical equipment, components, or systems for commercial, industrial, military, or scientific use.
Explore the complete task inventory first →
Understand the profile before choosing priorities
The table shows the ten highest importance ratings among 34 skills with usable ratings. Skills tied on importance can share a rank. Importance (1–5) and level (0–7) describe different dimensions. A level of 4 is not 4/7 of a course, and neither scale is your personal score. Source dates refer to the underlying rating, not the database release date.
| Skill | Importance / 5 | Level / 7 | Rating date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Writing | 4.12 | 4.25 | 08/2023 · Analyst |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.38 | 08/2023 · Analyst |
| Critical Thinking | 4.00 | 4.12 | 08/2023 · Analyst |
| Speaking | 3.88 | 4.25 | 08/2023 · Analyst |
| Active Listening | 3.88 | 4.12 | 08/2023 · Analyst |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.88 | 4.00 | 08/2023 · Analyst |
| Active Learning | 3.88 | 3.88 | 08/2023 · Analyst |
| Monitoring | 3.50 | 3.88 | 08/2023 · Analyst |
| Mathematics | 3.38 | 4.12 | 08/2023 · Analyst |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.25 | 3.62 | 08/2023 · Analyst |
Anchor the plan in an actual task
Choose one reported task you want to understand better. Then choose one to three skills and describe an appropriate learning activity, evidence you will review and a date. For practical work requiring authorization, choose relevant coursework, observation or supervised training.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Read the scale examples
These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for electrical engineers.
Level 4: Write an email to staff outlining new directives
Level 6: Write a novel for publication
What document would another person need, and how would you check that they could act on it?
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Read the scale examples
These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for electrical engineers.
Level 4: Understand an email from management describing new personnel policies
Level 6: Read a scientific journal article describing surgical procedures
Which instruction, constraint or exception in a document would you need to explain accurately?
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Read the scale examples
These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for electrical engineers.
Level 4: Evaluate customer complaints and determine appropriate responses
Level 6: Write legal brief challenging a federal law
What assumption could change your conclusion, and what evidence would you check first?
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Read the scale examples
These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for electrical engineers.
Level 4: Interview applicants to obtain personal and work history
Level 6: Argue a legal case before the Supreme Court
How would you explain the task, audience needs and next step in a short conversation?
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Read the scale examples
These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for electrical engineers.
Level 4: Answer inquiries regarding credit references
Level 6: Serve as a judge in a complex legal disagreement
What would you ask the other person to clarify, and how would you confirm you understood?
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Read the scale examples
These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for electrical engineers.
Level 4: Redesign a floor layout to take advantage of new manufacturing techniques
Level 2: Lay out tools to complete a job
How would you separate the problem into parts and compare possible explanations?
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Read the scale examples
These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for electrical engineers.
Level 4: Determine the impact of new menu changes on a restaurant's purchasing requirements
Level 2: Think about the implications of a news article for job opportunities
What new information would change your approach, and how would you record the change?
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Read the scale examples
These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for electrical engineers.
Level 4: Monitor a meeting and revise the agenda to ensure important topics are discussed
Level 2: Proofread and correct a letter
What result or exception would you inspect during the task, and when would you revisit it?
Mathematics
Using mathematics to solve problems.
Read the scale examples
These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for electrical engineers.
Level 4: Calculate the square footage of a new home under construction
Level 6: Develop a mathematical model to simulate and resolve an engineering problem
Which quantities, units, denominator and rounding rules would need an explicit check?
Systems Evaluation
Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Read the scale examples
These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for electrical engineers.
Level 4: Identify the reasons why a client might be unhappy with a product
Level 2: Determine why estimates for the time to complete a task are overly optimistic
What would indicate the system is meeting its purpose, and what comparison would be fair?
Review the result
Your plan should explain why the selected skills matter for your chosen task, what you will do next and what evidence you will examine. Revisit the plan after that activity. Completing a worksheet or matching an occupation’s ratings does not establish professional competence.
Keep your worksheet
Download before leaving this page. Unsaved writing remains only in the page and is cleared on refresh. Notes and learning actions are not sent to a server. This guide describes an occupation and supports study planning; it does not provide clinical, legal or equipment-operating procedures.
Source and practice material
Occupational context uses the O*NET® 31.0 Database from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, under CC BY 4.0. View the occupation.
Skill Workbench selected and adapted the occupational information and added its own fictional cases, calculations, guidance and worksheets. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these additions. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.