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European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations (ESCO)

Skills & competences

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Hierarchy view

K - knowledge
00 - generic programmes and qualifications
01 - education
02 - arts and humanities
03 - social sciences, journalism and information
04 - business, administration and law
05 - natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
06 - information and communication technologies (icts)
07 - engineering, manufacturing and construction
070 - engineering, manufacturing and construction not further defined
071 - engineering and engineering trades
- security engineering
0710 - engineering and engineering trades not further defined
0711 - chemical engineering and processes
0712 - environmental protection technology
0713 - electricity and energy
0714 - electronics and automation
0715 - mechanics and metal trades
- alloys of precious metals
- aluminium alloys
- bicycle mechanics
- buffing motions
- casting processes
- chemical technologies in metal manufacture
- coining
- cold drawing processes
- cold forging
- components of clocks
- continuum mechanics
- crimping
- cylindrical grinder parts
- deburring machine parts
- deburring processes
- dies
- drop hammer types
- dry tumbling
- dust usage for forging
- electric clocks
- electrolytic passivation process
- electron beam welding machine parts
- electron beam welding processes
- electroplating
- electroplating machine parts
- electroplating metal materials
- electroplating processes
- engine components
- engineering processes
- explosives
- extrusion processes
- farrier industry
- ferrous metal processing
- filing machine parts
- fluid mechanics
- forging processes
- hot forging
- hot winding
- hydraulic fluid
- hydraulic press parts
- hydraulics
- lacquer spray gun parts
- locking mechanisms
- machine tools
- machinery products
- maintenance of ammunition
- manufacture of small metal parts
- manufacturing of door furniture from metal
- manufacturing of doors from metal
- manufacturing of light metal packaging
- manufacturing of metal assembly products
- manufacturing of metal containers
- manufacturing of metal household articles
- manufacturing of metal structures
- manufacturing of pumps and compressors
- manufacturing of steel drums and similar containers
- manufacturing of tools
- material mechanics
- materials of die
- mechanical clocks
- mechanical engineering
- mechanical engineering applicable to edible oil seed
- mechanical forging press parts
- mechanical systems
- mechanical tools
- mechanics
- mechatronics
- metal and metal ore products
- metal bending techniques
- metal coating technologies
- metal drawing processes
- metal eroding technology
- metal forming technologies
- metal hot rolling technology
- metal joining technologies
- metal smoothing technologies
- metal thermal conductivity
- metallurgy
- metalworking
- metalworking tools
- microelectromechanical systems
- micromechanics
- micromechatronic engineering
- minerals prices
- nibbling machine parts
- non-ferrous metal processing
- optomechanical components
- optomechanical devices
- optomechanical engineering
- parts of a surface grinding machine
- parts of metal rolling mill
- precious metals
- precision mechanics
- principles of mechanical engineering
- processes performed by tumbling
- production engineering
- quality and cycle time optimisation
- rivet types
- riveting machine types
- screw machine parts
- screw manufacturing processes
- sensors
- smoke sensors
- soldering techniques
- solid mechanics
- spot welding machine parts
- swaging machine types
- swaging processes
- thermal materials
- torch temperature for metal processes
- tumbling machine parts
- types of boring heads
- types of containers
- types of crosscut saws
- types of drill bits
- types of forging press
- types of lathe tools
- types of lifts
- types of lubricants
- types of metal
- types of metal manufacturing processes
- types of perforating machines
- types of planing cutters
- types of sawing blades
- types of spring
- types of straightening machine
- types of table saws
- types of thread
- types of upsetting machines
- types of watches
- upsetting machine parts
- welding techniques
- wet tumbling
0716 - motor vehicles, ships and aircraft
0719 - engineering and engineering trades not elsewhere classified
072 - manufacturing and processing
073 - architecture and construction
078 - inter-disciplinary programmes and qualifications involving engineering, manufacturing and construction
079 - engineering, manufacturing and construction not elsewhere classified
08 - agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary
09 - health and welfare
10 - services
99 - field unknown
L - language skills and knowledge
S - skills
T - transversal skills and competences

This concept is obsolete

reverse engineering

knowledge

engineering, manufacturing and construction

engineering and engineering trades

mechanics and metal trades

reverse engineering

Concept overview

Description

The process of extracting knowledge or design information from anything man-made and reproducing it or anything else based on the extracted information. The process often involves disassembling something and analysing its components and workings in detail.

Alternative Labels

RE

back-engineering

reconstruct

Skill type

knowledge

Skill reusability level

cross-sector skills and competences

Relationships

Broader concepts

Essential for

Optional for

Concept status

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DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion of the European Commission developed ESCO in collaboration with stakeholders.

CONTACT ESCO
Current version: ESCO v1.2.1 (Last update 10/12/2025)