Currently, we depend on our technical societies to keep us informed. They in turn must be reined in. The lure of huge federal grants has smothered any interest they once had in aiding the engineer. I think it is about time that we stopped arguing about who is or is not an engineer. The caveman chipping an arrowhead out of a flint was an engineer.
Many boys make or take apart things on their own, the start of engineering.
That is a taught skill. Every branch of medicine has to be taught and a diploma is issued to the practitioner of that branch after a certain number of hours have been put in and a test passed. In effect, there is also an apprenticeship after formal schooling. One who has an inherent skill and has amplified it by an apprenticeship of many years, in many of the branches of that skill, is fully entitled to the name of professional engineer. I have seen many first-class machinists and tool and die makers who have pulled engineers out of a hole.