Insights

Perspectives on work, learning, and transformation.

Research-informed articles from Captivate leadership on AI adoption, workforce pipelines, and program delivery.

First page of From AI Awareness to Organizational Transformation
AI & Digital

From AI Awareness to Organizational Transformation

A Five-Stage Path for Agencies and Employers to Drive Workforce Effectiveness and Efficiency

Dr. Tony D. Johnson · 6 pages

Artificial intelligence is now present in most organizations, yet only a minority convert its use into measurable enterprise value. This article presents a five-stage path (awareness, governance, pilot, redesign, and transformation) that public agencies and employers can use to move from scattered experimentation to sustained gains in workforce effectiveness and efficiency. Drawing on survey evidence, federal oversight reports, risk-management standards, and experimental studies of worker productivity, it offers strategies, examples, measures, and recommendations for each stage.

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First page of Building Talent Pipelines Through Pre-Apprenticeship
Workforce

Building Talent Pipelines Through Pre-Apprenticeship

How Sector Academies Connect Employers with Job-Ready Candidates

Dr. Tony D. Johnson · 6 pages

Employers consistently cite skills gaps as a barrier to growth, while many capable job seekers lack the preparation and supports needed to enter registered apprenticeship. Pre-apprenticeship offered through sector academies can bridge that gap. This article reviews the U.S. Department of Labor’s 2026 pre-apprenticeship framework, summarizes randomized evidence on sector-based training, and translates both into design strategies, a twelve-month launch sequence, and recommendations for training providers, workforce boards, and employers.

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First page of Plan, Launch, Implement, Evaluate
Program Delivery

Plan, Launch, Implement, Evaluate

Lessons in Managing Grant-Funded Programs from Launch to Closeout

Dr. Tony D. Johnson · 7 pages

Grant-funded programs are time-limited commitments made under public scrutiny, and their results depend as much on disciplined management as on program design. This article organizes grant management into five phases (plan, launch, implement, evaluate, and closeout) and links each to federal requirements under 2 C.F.R. Part 200, to logic-model and evaluation practice, and to empirical lessons from workforce program research. It offers practical tools, examples, and recommendations for program leaders, subrecipients, and funders.

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