We constantly monitor the security of the LRS Organisation Portal, and are aware that a certain amount of ‘Pass the Password’ is going on amongst users.  It’s become apparent that a number of users in some organisations have been sharing a single username and password to access the portal.

We take the security of the Portal extremely seriously. Passing the password directly contravenes the conditions of use of the service. You as an individual user are responsible for complying with the security conditions your organisation has signed up to. Sharing access could have serious implications for you personally, and for your organisation.

Your Super User has been issued with a password and username, and it is their responsibility to protect these details. If you’re a user, your Super User will have issued you with individual access details and can re-set them for you, but it’s you who’s accountable for how they’re used, and by whom.

So if your organisation, or anyone in it, has been playing ‘Pass the Password’ – please ensure that from now on every user of the LRS Organisation Portal has their own separate password and user identity. 

If you’re not sure how your Super User can set up additional users in your organisation, please check Section 1 of the LRS User Guide or call the LRS Customer Helpdesk on 0845 602 2589.

Kind regards
Alison

The Welsh Government Department for Education and Skills (DfES) made a landmark decision this month, when the Minister for Education and Skills, Leighton Andrews, approved the full implementation of the Unique Learner Number (ULN) and Personal Learning Record (PLR) for learners aged 14 and over in Wales. He also agreed feasibility work for the inclusion of Welsh qualifications data in the PLR.

In fact, over 400,000 learners in Wales already have ULNs, largely as a result of the roll-out of the service to the further education (FE) sector in Wales.  Now learners from schools in Wales will approach FE already armed with a permanent online record of their verified achievements and qualifications.

In England, the FE sector is now beginning to see the full benefits of the introduction of ULNs in English schools back in 2007. These ULNs allow FE providers to, for example, confirm that course entry requirements have been met, or to check details of completed units contributing toward skills qualifications. As the PLR continues to build throughout a learner’s lifetime, the benefits to training providers, awarding organisations, advisers and employers, as well as to learners themselves, will continue to accrue.

The savings and efficiencies gained by accessing shared information about individual learning and qualifications from a single secure online source are well recognised. Now, these benefits will become increasingly available to FE learning providers and awarding organisations working with learners from schools in Wales.

For more information, visit the LRS website.

Kind regards
Alison

Is it a bird?  Is it a plane?

No  it’s a Learning Records Service (LRS) Super User, and every learning provider registered with the LRS must have at least one.

The role of the Super User is central to working with the LRS portal, which is why appointing a Super User is one of the first steps in the registration process.

The Super User has specific responsibility for operational systems management, including access rights, and for overseeing data protection. The role is so crucial that the LRS recommends organisations appoint at least three Super Users, so that access to the portal can be unlocked at any time.

How many Super Users do you have?  Over time, and the service has been in place now since 2007, individual roles and responsibilities within an organisation change. Appointed Super Users can become unable to fulfil their roles, because they have changed jobs, perhaps, or moved on.

As a result, FE providers may leave themselves vulnerable to being unable to access the LRS portal easily, or even at all, because they no longer have a fully functioning Super User team.

Ask yourself, as you read this, who are the LRS Super Users in your organisation?.  If the answer isn’t obvious, it’s worth asking the question. If one of your original Super Users is no longer in place, it’s essential that you appoint a replacement immediately.

To register a change of Super User, please go to the LRS Website. 

Kind regards
Alison