Re:Why "need for the working world"? (Score 3, Interesting)

"Were there any big events that led to the current forms of licensing of medical practitioners, lawyers, engineers, etc., or did those things just develop gradually over the decades/centuries?"

-----

Speaking for the legal profession (based on my memories of lectures from a respected professor of legal history, so take this with a grain of salt), it was largely a discriminatory desire to maintain a (white male protestant) monopoly on the profession that led to the current manifestation of the state bar associations and their examinations.

Around the turn of the century (1900), large numbers of well educated East European Jews were transplanting to the U.S. Many of them had legal training and practice, and began to set up legal practices in the U.S.

At the time, the state bars generally only required a term of apprenticeship and/or a recommendation from a current attorney in good standing to accept someone into the bar. The fledgling ABA saw a chance to seize a good deal of power by convincing the states that the influx of immigrants was a serious risk, and they should begin following ABA recommendations for accepting new members.

These recommendations initially included graduation from an ABA-accredited law school (which eventually grew to require four years of college before law school) and an examination, including an ABA-approved portion on federal law and general legal principles.

Does this lead to better lawyers? Not really. The exams in many states (all except CA have followed the ABA's recommendations...CA does have the exam, and the multistate portion, but does not require an accredited law school) have become largely pro forma, with pass rates over 80%.

Suffice it to say that there are still plenty of barred attorneys who aren't very good at their jobs.

The realm of software and web design and network management and all the rest should be careful to avoid examinations and requirements designed primarily to produce a monopoly on certain career paths, as these can easily be used to increase the costs of services and keep out unwanted or threatening groups, without ever increasing the quality of services provided.

Just my two cents.