ULNs
The Information below is for centres undertaking 14-19 Diploma learning and/or QCF accredited qualifications.
This page contains information regarding:
- The Unique Learner Number (ULN)
- What will City & Guilds need ULNs for?
- How do centres obtain ULNs?
- Submission of ULNs to City & Guilds
- MIS
- ILM
- HAB
- Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
The Unique Learner Number (ULN)
A Unique Learner Number (ULN) is a 10-digit identifier that will eventually enable any student over the age of 14 - in England, Northern Ireland and Wales - to build a lifelong record of their learning achievements.
ULNs are issued and held by MIAP’s web-based Learner Registration Service (LRS).
What will City & Guilds need ULNs for?
The ULN is set to play a significant role in the administration of many of City & Guilds qualifications, but will not replace the City & Guilds enrolment number.
14-19 Diplomas
The ULN is a compulsory element of 14-19 Diplomas. It is required by all the awarding bodies involved for the aggregation of any achievement that will contribute to a Diploma. As a CAB (Component Awarding Body) we send Additional Specialist Learning (ASL) achievement to the Diploma Aggregation Service (DAS). The DAS’s role is to manage each learner's record, notifying the relevant Diploma Awarding Body (DAB) when a learner has completed all the elements required for a full Diploma. The DAB can then issue the final Diploma certificate.
Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF)
In time, all QCF achievement will be aggregated in a similar centralised learner achievement record (branded LAR during tests and trials). Learners will be able to view their learner record online and decide who else can see their record or parts of it. Once a LAR system is in place City & Guilds will populate it with any QCF achievement, if we have the correct ULN. Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) aim to extend the trial of the LAR system in 2008/2009, with a final learner record solution expected to be in place around autumn 2009.
How do centres obtain ULNs?
MIAP Learner Registration Service
For more information on the ULN please visit http://www.miap.gov.uk/. The MIAP LRS website contains all the information you will need to generate ULNs for your candidates.UKPRN - UK provider reference number
Some of our centres have experienced difficulty in registering with MIAP LRS because they do not have a UKPRN (UK provider reference number). A UKPRN is not mandatory, but without one MIAP has to verify you are an approved centre, which can take time. We are working with MIAP to speed up this process. You can find out if your centre has a UKPRN through the UK register of learning providers at www.ukrlp.co.uk/.We also suggest that if a learner comes to you with a ULN that you validate this with the LRS before sending it to City & Guilds. Over 3 million learners in the UK have already been allocated a ULN.
Awarding bodies must authenticate each ULN with the LRS before submitting achievement to the DAS, so submission of an incorrect ULN will slow down the whole process.
Submission of ULNs to City & Guilds
For us to populate the Diploma Aggregation Service (DAS) with ASL achievement, or the QCF LAR (when this goes online), we will need to know a candidate's ULN. There are three ways our centres can submit ULNs, they are as follows:
Walled Garden – on screen entry
Walled Garden – through your EDI file
Walled Garden – through a ULN reference file (coming soon)
City & Guilds Systems are now successfully accepting ULNs. More detailed guidance on the process will follow in the coming weeks.
Centres should be assured that if they do not submit ULNs then the critical path of any candidate registration will not be affected. The ULN can be submitted at a later date, but we will be unable to populate the DAS or QCF learner record until we receive this number.
MIS
Centres are advised to talk to their Management Information System (MIS) provider/supplier to establish any operational changes that may be required to handle the ULN data. Tribal, Capita, Corero and Agresso have all confirmed that they will have updates available to capture and output ULNs in the near future. Please contact you provider for more details.
ILM
ILM are already accepting ULNs as part of the registration process for their portfolio of QCF qualifications. For details of the registration process for ILM qualifications please see www.i-l-m.com/centres/2961.aspx
HAB qualifications
HAB centres will be able to enter the ULN for candidates on QCF credit-rated courses on the HABZone website from 1 September 2008. For information and guidance on doing this, please visit http://www.hab.org.uk/ULN.
Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
The ULN will eventually be used across the UK. Due to legislation differences in each nation the guidance above only currently applies to England, although providers in both Northern Ireland and Wales can generate ULNs through MIAP.
Scotland has its own Scottish lifelong learner number but may decide to adopt ULNs in the future.