Software engineering got its roots from electrical engineering and this isn't true for most electrical engineers. You only need to be licensed in a few subsets of electrical engineering (i.e. power production and distribution). All other areas don't require a license.
There is a difference between software engineers and programmers. I had it explained to me like this. If you spend more than 50% of your time programming, you can't call yourself a software engineer. A software engineer is supposed to spend most of their time designing and architecting a solution, testing assumptions, documenting the design process and conducting design reviews. This process is slow and tedious but if done correctly will save you a lot of headaches in the future.
My gas-fitter is professionally-licensed. My electrician is professionally-licensed. My accountant is professionally-licensed. They have to be. But I'd hire a developer with a stellar record over one with a professional licence, unless the post was Compliance Officer or something.
I just don't expect such a licensed "software engineer" to be doing hands-dirty software development; they'll be managing the show. Hands-dirty developers need to know stuff you don't learn on training courses.
So what's an engineer? Outside of software, an engineer is a professional - a member of a professional body, licenced to undertake specified design and construction work, and required to take regular training and re-licensing. It's like a physician; it's not some particular level of training or experience. Or skill - there are rotten physicians and excelent ones. But if they're not licensed, they're not a physician.
Can't we go back to calling programmers programmers?