"Engineer" is a regulated title in Canada, and non-registered professionals cannot call themselves "Software engineers". The government of Alberta just changed this rule for their province
They can and do. There is risk of a fine. However there is the capability to disrespect the law and do what you like, an attractive option when the alternative is to prostrate oneself beneath non-Canadian jobseekers competing for the same positions internationally.
Good point. Maybe it could be a certification test, or maybe some roles wouldn't require it, but I think standardizing software engineering would help the industry by allowing people to focus on the field for their entire lives instead of being sidetracked into management.
