APEGA - Gov't exempts Software Engineering title from APEGA oversight

[ExtraSlow]

Dear ExtraSlow,
I am writing to inform you of a significant change that will affect the engineering profession in Alberta. The Government of Alberta announced today that the title "software engineer" will be exempt and the potential for additional “related titles” could become exempt in the Engineering and Geoscience Professions (EGP) Act and General Regulation.

This means non-engineers in the technology industry will be legally allowed to call themselves software engineers. In addition, the minister for Advanced Education will have the right to add related technology-industry job titles that include “engineer” to this exemption. However, at this time, only the job title of “software engineer” is exempt.

It is important to note this change does not remove the requirement for individuals who practise engineering in the technology industry to become licensed with APEGA and for technology companies providing engineering services to obtain a Permit to Practice.

The government’s decision to remove title protection for “software engineer” stems from lobbying by the technology industry, which believes it must use “software engineer” to recruit top talent to Alberta.

We believe title protection is vital to preserving public safety and maintaining high standards of practice and ethics. APEGA engaged in multiple meetings with the Government of Alberta and the technology industry. We offered potential solutions during our discussions, such as adding “non-registered” after the title software engineer for non-engineers. The government decided to go in another direction.

It is the government’s role to create legislation, and as a regulator, it is APEGA’s role to implement legislation. We have effectively regulated engineering and geoscience in protection of the public for more than 100 years and will continue to do so.


Jay Nagendran, P.Eng., FCAE, ICD.D, FEC, FGC (Hon.)
Registrar & CEO

So software engineers better not "practice engineering" unless they are also APEGA-certified P.Eng's as well.

[suntan]

I engineer software!

At the U of C open house I found out the software ENGINEERS and the comp sci students are often in the same building.

[killramos]

lol. Software “engineers”.

I guess @Sugarphreak went back to school for nothing.

[ThePenIsMightier]

I've been calling myself Dr. FeelGood for years and the medical board can suck my salty taint.
Maybe chiropractors will start calling themselves Endoskeletal Engineers.

APEGA dues going up, though (probably).

[Sugarphreak]

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lol. Software “engineers”.

I guess @Sugarphreak went back to school for nothing.

I knew it!

[rage2]

I don't even know who to blame for this fiasco. I was actually pretty strict in making sure I don't use the Engineer title for my developers, but since our company got acquired we had to map them over to the available titles, and turns out all my web devs and QA are now engineers in title too haha. Nothing I can do there. It's just a favoured title in the tech world without merit, and you limit your pool of talent because software developers like their titles with engineering in them.

I mean some of the guys on the development side of things are more architects than engineers, but architects also gatekeep that title haha. I mean not tech world's fault all the cool words are taken I guess?

I'm seeing software engineers who actually have spent time and money on an engineering degree to get the designation pissed off about it. Kinda funny. It's like immigrants not wanting more immigrants.

[ExtraSlow]

Wonder what Curt Stout thinks.

[ThePenIsMightier]

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Wonder what Curt Stout thinks.

"Something something ORWELLIAN SPEECH CONTROL something something ARGUMENTEM AD HOMINEM!!!!" and then brag about his lawyer bill that he paid to lose. Like a loser.

[Darkane]

Poor sound engineers. They been mixing and recording albums for almost a century and they’re not recognized.

[suntan]

What about sandwich artists.

[rage2]

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What about sandwich artists.

difference here is nobody cares about being an artist because they're all broke ass.

[rage2]

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Poor sound engineers. They been mixing and recording albums for almost a century and they’re not recognized.

they say what makes engineer a real engineer is if something they do fails, people die. I can tell you I came close to dying listening to that first release of Death Magnetic. That makes sound engineers real engineers.

[suntan]

Remember when they tried to shove themselves into STE(A)M?

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they say what makes engineer a real engineer is if something they do fails, people die. I can tell you I came close to dying listening to that first release of Death Magnetic. That makes sound engineers real engineers.

Worse thing that happens with software is your CC gets cancelled.

[sabad66]

Lol as if their suggestion was a viable solution to the alleged problem. Hey tech industry, we know job titles are important to people so how about you meet us in the middle and make all of your workers use “software engineer, non-registered” in all of their job titles. That will totally help!

I really don’t see why this was such a big deal…did Apega actually think people were hiring SEs to stamp bridge designs? I think it’s pretty obvious that if you need someone for that, you make sure they have p. Eng designation, not just looking for any dude with the word “engineer” in their previous job titles.

[ExtraSlow]

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What about sandwich artists.

I remember when THAT title used to mean something. Ended when they did away with the U-sliced bread.

[sabad66]

“Sales Engineers” right now:

[killramos]

What about PowerPoint engineers?

[Darkane]

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they say what makes engineer a real engineer is if something they do fails, people die. I can tell you I came close to dying listening to that first release of Death Magnetic. That makes sound engineers real engineers.

Hahah. Better than St Anger though!

[Disoblige]

Can anyone really call themselves a sales engineer with a straight face?

[ThePenIsMightier]

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Can anyone really call themselves a sales engineer with a straight face?

If APEGA accepts their dues. And I think we know that's a certainty. PE's and PM's aren't spending many hours cranking out calculus and differential equations either.