Showcasing radiography with impact

The Society of Radiographers (SoR) and radiation therapy company Elekta were delighted to join forces and inspire new careers in radiography, in a Science Technology, Engineering and  Mathematics (STEM) event attended by 40 students from years 11-13 at the Elekta UK headquarters in West Sussex. 

Bringing together students, Elekta employees, the SoR team and members, was another step forward in the fantastic work the radiotherapy community is undertaking throughout the UK to attract new recruits into the profession.

Dee Mathieson, Managing Director of Elekta Ltd, launched the event with her insights into the innovative and historic development of Elekta equipment and technology. 

Michelle Tyler, SoR Professional Officer for Careers Promotion and Outreach, gave a brief introduction to radiography work, focusing on therapeutic radiography, for young people aged 16 and over. Dee and Michelle also shared their own unique career journeys and insights from working as therapeutic radiographers in their varied careers.

The students were given an interactive tour of the Elekta site. Each group was hosted by an Elekta colleague that were themselves a qualified radiographer, which enabled the students to gain further insight into the role. It was wonderful for radiographers working at Elekta (Alison Metcalfe, Matt Wright, Joseph McNeice, Caterine Lopez, Miranda Adamson, Emadul Haque, Emily Basset, Jennifer Anthony and Joanne Corbett) to talk about their careers beyond the clinic, supported by Elekta colleagues Cameron Connelly, Drew Limbachia and Tanya Addison. Students and their teachers and advisers had the opportunity to witness first-hand radiotherapy technology in action.  

They also talked to SoR members and Elekta staff representing the various aspects of therapeutic radiography work. Jennifer Anthony, Elekta Director of Global Customer Engagement, hosted the young people in the digital media suite, providing them with a rare opportunity to further explore an ever-evolving area of healthcare information and communication technology.  

Students later took part in a series of interactive STEM workshops, led by Elekta’s Head of Training Development, Asif Channa, evidencing their morning learning about therapeutic radiography and creating innovative ideas for future radiotherapy development. There were informal discussions during lunch and ad hoc question and answer sessions, including a quick dosimetry and physics lesson from Spencer Goodman, SoR Professional Officer for Radiotherapy, prompted by questions from one particularly engaged student. 

SoR President Ross McGhee enjoyed taking part and rounding up the day with his closing remarks. He delighted one student with an opportunity to wear the presidential necklace for a photo opportunity.

Michelle said it was fantastic to have SoR members from the South East England region volunteer to share their expertise and experience at the event: Saira Alam, Ricardo Khine, Joanne Oliver and Kiyan Saleh.

“It was wonderful to work with Elekta on this event and spend time at their fantastic facility,” she said. “We recognise that many departments, higher education institutes, stakeholders and networks are working hard to share insights and inform the public about radiography. 

“This is no easy task given current pressures on services and barriers to providing work experience for young people under 18, especially as departments often now lack dedicated radiography staffing resource to focus on careers promotion or education and development for staff.

“The event was well evaluated by students and teachers, with one student commenting that they were inspired to train as a radiographer. By providing their facilities, time and commitment, Elekta was a shining example of a manufacturing organisation that is willing to collaborate with SoR and its members to provide a high-quality event, ultimately ensuring more awareness about our work for the public.”

What’s happening next?
The SoR is keen to work on more events, small or large, to inspire the next generation of therapeutic radiographers at any life stage to join the profession. Contact Michelle Tyler with your plans and ideas at MichelleT@sor.org.

Examples of careers promotion work coming up from the SoR:

• Face-to-face stalls at a variety of large-scale careers events and a set of pre-recorded and live webinars targeting schools and adults
• Bespoke school and college careers events around the UK
• Face-to-face and virtual support for therapeutic radiographers and young people/adults considering radiography as a career
• Ongoing development of careers materials and digital resources aimed at five years of age up to mature adults
• Ongoing collation of intelligence on regional careers promotion and outreach to inform SoR strategy
• Work with strategic organisations to bring together related work streams for a national approach to radiography education, for example Health Education England and devolved country networks.