I don't know about 'Licensed' engineers in particular but I do know that this Country is rapidly losing ground because most 'engineers' employed as such in this Country quite simply are not! Because we have no legal apparatus anyone can call themselves an engineer and worse anyone can employ somebody and call them an engineer - even if they have no qualifications! We all must know the true situation. I have tried to encourage Companies that I have been involved with to insist on IET or InstMC membership and preferably both and to encourage and support Further Education to get staff to a recognised 'competent' level in whatever area of engineering is relevant. What employers should be discouraged from doing by Law, is to call a 17 year old school leaver an 'engineer' even if he has a Mentor - which is definitely NOT always the case.  The Institutes play a vital role, as do Company Directors, in this matter and should be lobbying for all 'engineers' to be recognised by law when they have a certain minimum qualification (Debate please). Further more no Contracting Company should look to award important Contracts to Companies without first making sure that those Companies have suitably qualified 'Engineers' nor should so called contract 'engineers' be employed who are NOT suitably qualified. The field of Functional Safety has achieved quite a lot in this field - largely as a result of IEC61508 requiring 'safety' engineers to demonstrate 'competency'. Sadly we also have many 'safety' engineers who have a certificate after all of three days training. So I ask the question: Does three days of training make an engineer 'competent'? What does Germany do - they never seem to lack competent 'engineers'. Can anyone call themselves a medical Doctor with impunity?

I don't know about 'Licensed' engineers in particular but I do know that this Country is rapidly losing ground because most 'engineers' employed as such in this Country quite simply are not! Because we have no legal apparatus anyone can call themselves an engineer and worse anyone can employ somebody and call them an engineer - even if they have no qualifications! We all must know the true situation. I have tried to encourage Companies that I have been involved with to insist on IET or InstMC membership and preferably both and to encourage and support Further Education to get staff to a recognised 'competent' level in whatever area of engineering is relevant. What employers should be discouraged from doing by Law, is to call a 17 year old school leaver an 'engineer' even if he has a Mentor - which is definitely NOT always the case.  The Institutes play a vital role, as do Company Directors, in this matter and should be lobbying for all 'engineers' to be recognised by law when they have a certain minimum qualification (Debate please). Further more no Contracting Company should look to award important Contracts to Companies without first making sure that those Companies have suitably qualified 'Engineers' nor should so called contract 'engineers' be employed who are NOT suitably qualified. The field of Functional Safety has achieved quite a lot in this field - largely as a result of IEC61508 requiring 'safety' engineers to demonstrate 'competency'. Sadly we also have many 'safety' engineers who have a certificate after all of three days training. So I ask the question: Does three days of training make an engineer 'competent'? What does Germany do - they never seem to lack competent 'engineers'. Can anyone call themselves a medical Doctor with impunity?