Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Bumface
I don't know. I'd need to see what that regulatory oversight looks like in practice. My assumption is likely we get something that hampers the local industry and makes us a less competitive jurisdiction, and I'd prefer the courts continue to take care of negligence causing damage.
APEGA provides no meaningful oversight of any P. Eng. besides the threat of taking their title away. It's completely reactive anyway. For software engineering, they aren't even that, as they don't have the expertise or facilities to take any action at all.
So we can:
1) Add regulation to software engineers, and kill off any startup investment in AB
2) Not allow the title of engineer for these jobs, and hope remote employers casting wide nets bother to deal with overhead to deal with the pedantry of our relatively insignificant jurisdiction to continue to provide high paying opportunities for Albertans
3) Be like the rest of the global workforce and allow the software engineer title to be used
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The US regulated the use of Software Engineer in some states but slowly has been diminishing. The organization doing the FE exam testing software eng quit offering it in 2019 due to lack of demand. Many jurisdictions including California regulate Controls Engineering which in theory should cover the interface between devices and responses like cars.
From an approach standpoint I’d like to see EC lobby the US based groups to develop clear definitions of when it’s engineering. Then regulate appropriately, then ban and enforce title. I do agree for Alberta to demand regulation on its own would destroy demand. As for title as long as a clear line is drawn in where software eng becomes computer eng or controls eng is created and enforced I’m not to worried. They can be the chiropractors of engineers.
I disagree that APEGA does no enforcement before hand. The Professional Practice Management Plans which are required for all companies which perform engineering creates minimum standard for a wide variety of topics.