The funding band for the Therapeutic Radiographer Standard and Diagnostic Radiographer Standard has been increased to £24,000 from £19,000.
The Society of Radiographers welcomes the news after two consecutive years of raising the issue to the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfA).
The funding will support degree level HCPC approved apprenticeships, in radiotherapy and clinical imaging services to help address the workforce shortages by widening access to the professions.
Apprentices are employed and are therefore not required to take out a student loan in England.
The increase is welcomed as the two professions are currently the most expensive Allied Healthcare Professions to fund, and there is a significant need for both in the imaging and radiotherapy workforce.
The lack of financial support has meant that, to date, only one education provider the University of Exeter is currently delivering Diagnostic Radiographer degree level apprenticeship programme.
This programme is the only one approved by the College of Radiographers and meets the College and HCPC standard.
It is hoped that the increase in funding will encourage education providers to support wider uptake of both of these degree level radiographer apprenticeships.
Charlotte Beardmore, Director of Professional Policy for SoR, said: ‘The work to achieve this essential change in the education tariff was driven forward by the significant commitment of two apprenticeship trailblazer leads: Baz Rogers, Head of Radiotherapy at Leeds Cancer Centre and trailblazer lead for the Level 6 Therapeutic Radiographer apprenticeship standard, and Maria Reynolds, Imaging Practice and Education Lead Radiographer and Heartlands Hospital trailblazer lead for the Level 6 Diagnostic Radiographer apprenticeship standard.
‘Their energy, together with support from wider stakeholders including the Society and College of Radiographers, now means the Diagnostic Radiographer and Therapeutic Radiographers apprenticeships may be more attractive to all stakeholders, and therefore the goal of supporting widened access to the professions will be improved together with increasing the workforce.
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