Well, just to lighten things a bit, we had one ex-apprentoid on 14GE at RAFC who was told that he had "Un-officerlike bone structure"...
I kid you not!
Spend time in the ranks? No. Certainly not for GD Aircrew as the cost would be simply prohibitive and the time would be a total waste. For baby plumbers, the revised EngO's course exposes them to the demands of leadership rather earlier than it once did.
The 'Plastic sergeant' grumbles from certain city father SNCOs will doubtless continue as they always have..... Mind you, the behaviour of some 'Mighty Muncher' crews down route has often added strength to the city fathers' case, I regret to say.