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Microsoft Canada Co. has decided against honouring
last year's agreement to stop promoting the term "engineer"
as a label for the computer technicians it certifies. In a
July 25 letter, the software giant told its MCSE technicians
to "feel free" to call themselves the spelled-out
version of the title - Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer.
That goes against an agreement reported in the May 2001 PEGG.
After meetings with the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers
and provincial/territorial associations, Microsoft had agreed
to ask its MCSEs to use only the acronym. Now, Microsoft has
changed its mind, saying it has considered the legal issues
but decided that its title is well recognized as something
other than professional engineer.
APEGGA and the CCPE disagree. If MCSEs follow Microsoft's
advice, they open themselves up to legal action, which legislation
requires provincial and territorial associations to take.
APEGGA Executive Director Neil Windsor, P.Eng., says: "The
agreement in 2001 was a reasonably acceptable means of resolving
the problem. However, this recent action by Microsoft has
nullified that agreement and leaves the associations with
no other alternative but to seek the appropriate remedies
through the courts. Persons representing themselves as engineers
in Alberta are required by law to be licensed by APEGGA in
order to practice engineering and use the protected titles
'engineer' or 'P.Eng.' Persons calling themselves Microsoft
Certified Systems Engineers should be aware of the implications."
The reason behind taking action is to ensure public trust
and safety, the CCPE points out in a recent news release.
Engineering associations work on behalf of their provincial
and territorial governments, their members and the public
to make sure the title "engineer" is backed up by
education and experience.
MCSEs must complete seven exams for their certification. Preparation
for each exam can range from several days to several months,
depending on experience and training. "This is far short
of the four-year engineering degree required as one of the
prerequisites to becoming licensed as an engineer," the
CCPE release points out.
All jurisdictions in Canada also have an experience requirement.
Most jurisdictions, including Alberta, require four years
experience under the supervision of a professional engineer,
before licensure is considered.
Says Marie Lemay, P.Eng., CEO of CCPE: "It is pretty
obvious that the certificate holders would see value in the
use of the title 'engineer.' But engineering is a profession
and with that comes an obligation to protect the public. It
is important for the public to know that the term 'engineer'
refers to a person with a university engineering education
and engineering experience, who follows a professional code
of ethics."
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