I think in the UK we have this problem with Engineers in general,
here is an extract from LICENSING AND THE UK
ENGINEERING PROFESSION from the Engineering and Technology Board.
Proposals have long been advanced for statutory control of the UK engineering profession. Jordan (1992) notes the following landmarks:
1886: Defeat of the Architects and Engineers Bill, after lobbying by the
three major engineering institutions – the Institution of Civil
Engineers, the Institution of Electrical Engineers, and the
Institution of Mechanical Engineers. The Worshipful Company of
Plumbers also initiated the voluntary Register of Plumbers.
1919/1920: The Institution of Civil Engineers promoted a Bill for a statutory
register of qualified engineers, but this was vetoed by the other
major institutions.
1926: The Institution of Civil Engineers, Electrical Engineers, and
Mechanical Engineers lobbied against an Engineers Bill designed
to create a State Register. The three Institutions argued that only
they were equipped to judge standards.
1943: The Ministry of Works was dissuaded from establishing a register
of engineers qualified to work on public contracts.
It can be seen from the above that, historically, statutory registration of
engineers has been considered largely undesirable and actively opposed by the
major UK engineering institutions. The subject was next given serious
consideration in the Finniston Report, which was published under the title
“Engineering Our Future” in January 1980.
The Government had announced in 1977 the appointment of a Committee of
Inquiry in response to a range of problems facing – and concerns within - the UK
engineering profession. The Inquiry was led by Sir Monty Finniston. The terms
of reference were extremely broad. However, one of the stated objectives was
to review “the advantages and disadvantages of statutory regulation and
licensing of engineers in the UK”.
In the body of the Report given over to the question of licensing and registration
(pp 128-140), Finniston begins by criticising the existing system of a voluntary
registration system based upon membership of one of the Institutions.Add to this in October 2004 the Health Professions Council (HPC) agreed that the Clinical Technologist profession should be regulated.
We have a history of in-fighting, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is the world's largest technical professional society. Founded in 1884 by a handful of practitioners of the new electrical engineering discipline, these people were unable to join the Royal Institute of Mechanical Engineers.
So a few more years than you have Geoff
As for scaremongering, no, it would be the only thing that would force the issue!
New gang or new approach?
