Hmm. I have potential context here.
Mind, all the usual OP skepticism still applies. I just mean, it could be like this, but who knows.
Anyway.
In power electronics, and induction heating in particular, I was actually told by my boss, "in a world of the blind, the man with one eye reigns king". That probably sums things up well enough by itself, but I will explain a little more.
Evidently, in their scope -- not just the immediate organization, but much of the industry as a whole, it seems -- actual resonant power knowledge is arcane, rare, and coveted. (Ironically, not coveted enough for them to give me a raise -- among other reasons why I left.)
Turns out, induction just kind of sucks, in terms of... culture, personalities, etc. I'm sure I don't understand why, or if it happens to be coincidence, but my experience has been, there's enough market consolidation, and other forces (and maybe just intrinsic draw?), that there's an unusually high incidence -- well, maybe it's closer to the average for all US businesses, but in my experience it seems worse than average in the engineering sector -- of, you know, likely NPD types, RWA types, those sorts of things -- in short, the shitty, micromanaging, abusive, underpaying sort. Managers or owners.
So, given that:
If I had to guess, at what kinds of employers/clients OP is finding, given the general drought of engineering in the area (UK), and given OP's life experience (and whatever assumptions one might make about their income, or bid range) -- it may very well be the case that this acts to filter down the available employers/clients to just the businesses that operate like the above. To them, even basic SMPS knowledge may be arcane and coveted; but coveted in word only, as they're much too tightwad to offer any kind of salary/rate that would attract the numerous actual-experts in the field.
Tim