[av_engr]

I agree that a fresh-grad engineer will need some hand-holding in order to get them up to speed, but I disagree they are equivalent to an amateur in the similar field. The mathematical/engineering education obtained through their degree teaches them the thinking and underlying scientific principles that justifies concepts/design, which is knowledge often lacked in amateur community.

Using a modeling software still requires validation from an engineer and the "random math" is useful for that. Often times we have to do redundant calculations to confirm that the computer solution is logical. Beyond that, the "random math" is often key to the development of an innovative method that is superior to existing solutions.

In general, amateur's goal is to make something work. Engineer's goal is to make something work, prove it works, and show why the solution was chosen.