We got off the original post a bit here, it started with a complaint about licence fees.
The existing licences will be replaced by a new JAR66 licence soon. This will end our description as Licenced Aircraft Engineers and turn us into Licenced Technicians. Big deal. The problem is, we will still need to pay the same (or higher) fees for the new licence. What privileges does the new licence confer? The answer is none if you work in the hangar. In fact, if you work on Major Maintenance then you won't certify anything unless you rise to be in charge of the whole section.
Why are the regulatory body removing the need for certification of scheduled maintenance? For international standardisation? Why would anyone employed in Major Maintenance bother to go through the licencing process for no particular benefit? We shall see, but I don't believe that airworthiness will benefit.
As to terminology, different names are used in different places. In the USA what we call LAEs are called "Mechanics" and in America it is a privilege to be known as a Mechanic. Again in USA a railway locomotive driver is called an "Engineer" although I don't suppose many of them have degrees in engineering
Then there is the question of protecting professional qualifications through legal means. There ARE no professional engineering qualifications in UK. The Engineers Registration Board simply registers people who meet its qualification levels but they do not CONTROL the Profession. That is actually the problem.
For Chartered Accountants, Doctors, Lawyers and so on their Professional Body controls standards, they don't merely register people. In fact, getting a degree is only the first step. There are further full-time post-graduate courses to be completed and a strictly supervised training period. In short, if there really were such a thing as a Professional Engineer in UK, he or she would have at least a Masters Degree and three years closely supervised and monitored development training with an employer approved to conduct the training.
When such a system is in place under the control of a proper Professional Body for engineering, then it will be reasonable to protect the title and credentials of Engineers by legal means. Until then, the real qualifications are the degrees you hold, not fancy titles issued by a body with no powers.
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Through difficulties to the cinema