Posted on 07/30/2002 7:56:13 PM PDT by HAL9000
OTTAWA, July 30 /CNW/ - People who hold Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) designations could face enforcement measures from Canada's provincial and territorial engineering licensing bodies if they follow the recent advice of Microsoft Canada.In a July 25 release, Microsoft Canada announced they will continue to use the term "engineer" as part of the MCSE designation, changing a decision made by Microsoft just a year earlier following discussions with the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers (CCPE) and representatives of the provincial engineering licensing bodies.
"CCPE is extremely disappointed with Microsoft's announcement," said Marie Lemay, P.Eng., CEO of CCPE. "By reversing this decision and advising their titleholders to use the full MCSE title, it has become clear that Microsoft Canada is no longer interested in continuing to work with the engineering profession or in assisting their certificate holders in avoiding the associated enforcement issues."
In May 2001, Microsoft agreed to advise Canadian holders of the MCSE certification not to call themselves "engineers" or use the full title "Microsoft Certified System Engineer." It was a major step toward preventing Canadian holders of the MCSE certification from inadvertently breaking provincial and territorial laws, and was seen by the engineering profession as a sign of good corporate leadership.
It would appear that Microsoft Canada is bowing to the pressure of MCSE holders and the training and certification organizations who have been capitalizing on the intrinsic value of the term "engineer" with little regard for potentially misleading the public.
According to published Microsoft information, to secure the MCSE designation an individual is required to complete seven exams. Depending on a person's previous experience, preparatory training leading to successful completion of the exams can range from several days to several months. This is far short of the four-year engineering degree required as one of the prerequisites to become an engineer.
To protect the public, laws and regulations restricting the use of the titles "engineer" and "engineering" and limiting the practice of engineering solely to licensed professional engineers have been put in place by all of Canada's provincial and territorial governments. The engineering licensing bodies are obligated by their legislative mandate to enforce against inappropriate use of the terms "engineer" and "engineering."
Microsoft's earlier decision was assisting the MCSE holders so they did not mistakenly use the title engineer or otherwise hold themselves out as qualified to practise engineering which would require the engineering profession's licensing bodies to take action against them.
Ms. Lemay said it would have been prudent for Microsoft Canada to have listened to other groups, beyond those with a vested interest, to determine what title should be used to avoid confusion and prevent MCSE titleholders from encountering enforcement from the engineering licensing bodies. "It is pretty obvious that the certificate holders would see value in the use of the title 'engineer,'" she said. "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, not someone with just a few months of IT training."
"Microsoft's advice to their certificate holders in May 2001 was well placed then and it continues to be today despite their recent announcement," Ms. Lemay said. "MCSE certificate holders would be well served to continue heeding this advice."
The Canadian Council of Professional Engineers is the national organization of the provincial and territorial associations/ordre that regulate the profession of engineering in Canada and license the country's more than 160,000 professional engineers.
Take seven exams and - viola - you're a doctor!
I know alot of EE's and engineers in general; those guys put forth alot of effort and time to claim the title "engineer". It should be reserved for those who truly earn it, not those who Transcender their way through 7 exams.
Note: The only border line (and this is even pushing it) "engineer" title I can see fitting is CCIE. Even then, it's not really earned, rather, studying to further understand what CISCO is doing in order to pass the written.
Electrical Engineer
Mechanical Engineer
Chemical Engineer
Materials Engineer
Software Engineer
Civil Engineer
Systems Engineer
Or, in short, a person who has obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in an engineering field.
"Microsoft-certified engineers" are not engineers any more than I would be chef because I watched Julia Childs on weekends. Nowadays, too, MSCE and all those two week certification courses aren't worth the paper they are printed on.
I agree. Give me an Exam Cram book and a weekend to study and I can pass any Microsoft test. (Which I have actually done several times). There are thousands of people with MCSE's, MCP's, MCT's and all those other alphabet soup titles pounding the pavement looking for jobs right now. If it wasn't for my ability to fall back on my technical and management skills, I'd be out of work myself.
Sexist pigs! That's "Motorperson".
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