[jpmoral]

In my country certain electronics engineering jobs require a license. The licensing system and the exams are a joke, they don't test for engineering ability at all, more like trivia and formula-memorization tests.

Fortunately, only a small subset of jobs (radio and TV operations) require it, and the best graduates don't want to work those jobs anyway. Most engineering companies ignore it if it isn't legally required for the position. They instead look at where the applicant got their degree and relevant experience.

A large part of the problem I think is that screening thousands of engineering grads properly for engineering competence would be prohibitively expensive and time-consuming for the government, and no one wants to admit the system is broken.

I suspect any government initiative to regulate software development is going to run into similar problems. I wonder how the medical and legal industries do it.

[logicchains]

>I wonder how the medical and legal industries do it.

Do they actually do it with any success? According to this article: http://www.forbes.com/sites/leahbinder/2013/09/23/stunning-n..., medical errors represent the third leading cause of death in the United States. Medical licensing makes it hard to enter the industry, but it doesn't seem to do much good of forcing dangerously incompetent practitioners out of the industry.

[LoSboccacc]

As many high payin regulated jobs, thise inside have connections which let them 'recommend' and 'ease' the entrance of close, selcted friend/family in the field.

Then you get dynasties and as much as we pretend regulation to be meaningful when they rot in such way the licenses just become 'favor money' and the whole category starts smelling

[adebtlawyer]

Legal licensing does not keep incompetent practitioners from entering the industry, at least in the U.S. This is cultural - there is still an expectation that after you get your license, other lawyers will train you.