Kristen Smith 
- SAIC flags workforce readiness as growing federal mission risk
- Report urges shift toward immersive, technology-driven training models
- Company highlights “unlearning” as key to successful AI adoption
SAIC has identified workforce readiness as a critical vulnerability for federal missions. The company’s new report, titled “Greater Workforce Readiness for Greater Mission Readiness,” revealed that workforce readiness is viewed as the top internal challenge within civilian agencies and the second-largest hurdle for the federal government.
The report recommends a pivot from traditional recruitment to maximizing human performance through technology-enabled learning systems, such as immersive training tools; performance analytics; and organizational “unlearning” to bridge the readiness gaps.
SAIC’s findings come as defense and civilian organizations face mounting pressure to modernize operations while managing lean workforces, hiring constraints and growing competition for specialized talent. The report builds on broader mission integration themes that SAIC Chief Technology Officer Bob Ritchie has repeatedly emphasized in recent months, particularly the need to accelerate capability delivery and reduce operational friction across federal missions.
Ritchie and Kathleen McCarthy, executive vice president and chief human resources officer at SAIC, authored the report.
How Is SAIC Positioning Technology-Powered Learning?
SAIC said immersive technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality are supporting federal and defense agencies in training personnel for mission-critical operations spanning aviation, command and control, cybersecurity, emergency response and combat operations.
One example highlighted in the report is SAIC’s F-35 FENIX simulator environment, which enables Air Force and allied pilots to conduct joint training and mission rehearsals in a virtual battlespace.
SAIC also supports the Air Force’s Pilot Training Next initiative, which uses desktop-size simulators to provide undergraduate pilots with additional immersive training access outside formal classroom settings.
Beyond simulation itself, SAIC emphasized the importance of performance data and artificial intelligence-driven analytics in measuring readiness and adapting training to individual learners.
Why Does ‘Unlearning’ Matter in AI Adoption?
A major theme throughout the report is the concept of “unlearning” — the need for organizations to intentionally move away from legacy behaviors and decision-making processes as AI and automation reshape workflows.
It pointed to the Air Force’s development of “IP GPT,” an AI chatbot trained on aviation manuals and official guidance to help pilots and instructors access procedures and operational information more quickly. SAIC said the effort shifted experts from being the sole source of knowledge to validators of AI-generated outputs.
“Unlearning does not automatically happen when organizations deploy new learning tools. It requires cultural rewiring that actively shapes the norms surrounding the work so that people can accept and adopt new behaviors,” the report said.
