VELA
Evidence-Grade OJT. In the Apprentice's Own Words.
VELA is a voice-enabled, hands-free logbook that transforms daily work into verifiable training evidence—captured in real time, validated by supervisors, and continuously improved through built-in quality intelligence.
Unlike traditional digital logbooks that merely record hours, VELA ensures what gets logged is useful, auditable, and defensible.
Voice-to-text logging with live task metadata and mentor sign-off.
What Makes VELA Different
1. Every Record Has a Transcript. Every Transcript Matters.
VELA delivers 100% transcript coverage across thousands of real-world OJT records—no blank logs, no missing narratives.
But coverage alone isn't enough. VELA analyzes transcript quality at scale, distinguishing between:
- Minimal activity notes
- Clear task descriptions
- Audit-grade narratives with actions, measurements, and outcomes
This creates a defensible trail from work performed → competency demonstrated → supervisor verified.
2. Built-In Transcript Quality Intelligence
VELA includes a Transcript Quality Index (TQI) that evaluates each entry for evidence strength.
The system automatically detects whether a log includes:
- Action verbs (what was done)
- Measurements and units (how much, how long, to what tolerance)
- Outcomes (what changed, what improved, what was fixed)
- Role-specific technical language
This transforms subjective "good notes" into objective, coachable signals.
3. Approval Without Friction — Quality Without Guesswork
Supervisors approve entries directly in VELA, maintaining a clean compliance trail.
But VELA goes further: Approval confirms participation. Quality intelligence confirms evidence strength.
VELA separates verification from narrative richness—allowing programs to maintain high approval rates while continuously improving documentation quality.
4. Continuous Improvement, Proven Over Time
VELA doesn't just capture data—it improves behavior.
Across recent cohorts, transcript quality scores show a clear upward trend over time, demonstrating that:
- Apprentices learn how to document work better
- Coaching and prompts work
- Evidence quality improves without adding administrative burden
This is learning-by-doing, applied to documentation itself.
5. Role-Specific, Not Generic
VELA recognizes that different apprentices do different work.
Transcript analysis shows distinct, role-specific language across:
- Mechatronics and maintenance
- CAD/CAM and design
- Polymer and extrusion
- Sales, service, and technical support
This ensures logs reflect real work, not generic checklists—making transcripts meaningful to employers and reviewers alike.
6. Coaching Without Policing
VELA identifies:
- Entries that need improvement
- Users who would benefit from light coaching
- Apprentices whose documentation quality is improving fastest
This enables supportive, targeted coaching—not punitive oversight—while keeping the system apprentice-friendly.
Why It Matters
For Employers
- Clear visibility into what apprentices actually did
- Stronger evidence for productivity, safety, and skill progression
- Reduced rework, ambiguity, and compliance risk
For Sponsors & Intermediaries
- Audit-ready documentation at scale
- Less manual cleanup before reporting
- Defensible narratives aligned to competencies and standards
For States & Evaluators
- High transcript completeness
- Transparent quality signals
- Consistent, reviewable evidence across programs and employers
How VELA Ensures PFS Implementation Success
VELA de-risks the entire Pay for Success lifecycle—from deal design to outcome verification—so intermediaries and governments can execute with confidence.
1. Implementation Readiness First
A core failure mode of PFS nationally has been deals designed before programs are operationally ready. VELA reverses that order.
- Stress-tests service models before contracts are signed
- Verifies outcomes are achievable, attributable, and measurable
- Ensures providers can deliver at scale with fidelity
Result: Investors underwrite validated delivery capacity, not hope.
2. Outcomes Become Contract-Ready Metrics
PFS fails when outcomes are too vague (social impact narratives) or too rigid (misaligned with program flow). VELA bridges this gap.
- Converts policy goals into contractible metrics (completion, retention, wage gains)
- Aligns with existing systems (WIOA §116, RAPIDS, UI wage records)
- Designs payment triggers that reflect real participant journeys
3. Neutral Stakeholder Integration
PFS requires unusual alignment among government payors, intermediaries, service providers, evaluators, and investors. VELA acts as a neutral integrator.
- No single party designs the deal to its own advantage
- Risk is allocated where it can actually be managed
- Data, evaluation, and payment logic are mutually understood
4. Evaluation Embedded in Operations
A major reason PFS deals collapse is that evaluation is bolted on at the end. VELA builds it into program operations.
- Evaluation design embedded from day one
- Data collection happens at point of service
- Course correction before outcomes fail—completion delays, employer churn, and participant barriers detected early
5. Public Systems Protected
For governments, PFS is attractive but risky if poorly structured. VELA protects public systems.
- Contracts are WIOA-compliant and procurement-safe
- Agencies protected from paying for outcomes they would have achieved anyway
- Payments fit within existing funding streams, not one-off appropriations
6. VELA + Apprentage: The Complete PFS Stack
VELA doesn't replace Apprentage's intermediary role—it amplifies it.
- Apprentage controls delivery, employer engagement, and outcomes
- VELA ensures those outcomes are financeable, contractible, and verifiable
- Together: scale faster than grant cycles, enter PFS deals without absorbing evaluation risk, maintain focus on quality
Sources: America Forward & AFA Pay for Success Policy Brief (Jan 2026); WIOA Pay-for-Performance authority; Pennsylvania WIOA governance and apprenticeship implementation practices.
Explore PFS PartnershipEvidence from Floor to File
Actual captures show how VELA keeps OJT activity synced with compliance dashboards and reports.
Supervisor dashboards surface pending approvals and highlight incomplete evidence before audits.
Performance analytics connect VELA logs to competency tracking and apprenticeship milestones.
Generate RAPIDS, PIRL, and sponsor-ready reports with exportable datasets built from VELA submissions.
Key Features
Voice capture
Transcribe OJT activities with accuracy and speed.
Mentor approvals
Supervisor sign-off with audit trails.
Compliance outputs
Generate records suitable for RAPIDS/PIRL workflows.
Evidence linking
Attach photos, video, and references to entries.
The Bottom Line
VELA replaces vague, rushed, end-of-period logbooks with real-time, evidence-grade documentation—captured naturally, validated easily, and continuously improved.
It doesn't just record training.
It proves it.
Watch VELA in the Field
This 45-second walkthrough shows how crews capture logs hands-free and route them for approvals in real time.
- 01Use voice capture to document job tasks, hazards, and time spent without breaking stride.
- 02Attach photos and evidence, then send entries for mentor review directly from the mobile app.
- 03Publish approved records to Turbine Workforce for instant compliance and ROI reporting.
Video runtime: 45 seconds — Source: VELA Voice-Enabled Logbook Demo (Vimeo ID: 1097987442).