@Sean - I think the greasy pole of advancement needs to be phased out as this is what is devaluing this profession. If their forte would be paperwork / communication and less hands on skills then this would been seen as more of an administration role. At the end of your day you are given an opportunity to progress but its up to the individual to take it.
I have seen clinical staff ask technicians / engineers basic questions (OEM applications specialists not required) regarding the operation on devices and they have failed to explain it to the clinical staff, this should not be the case.
@Geoff - you are indeed correct, however it needs to be structured training. No matter when you enter the profession within the NHS or private capacity you should follow have the relevant educational credentials, work experience and follow a structured training path. At the early stages the technician / engineer would gain their fundamental knowledge.
A program like CBET makes perfect sense of working, you get placed on a certified training scheme the USA offers for BMET's. If standards are adhered to then you are given the credentials along your chosen career path.
This on-going issue keeps coming back as it has never been solved, its like a fault that's never been fixed, root cause analysis should be carried out at top level to identify and rectify the industry. Can a unstructured industry we are in be fixed?
