Connecticut Reporter Selected for National Workforce Grant

New America and Work Shift have announced the first group of reporters selected for a new fellowship focused on the intersection of labor and technology. The program provides funding and professional development to journalists covering how emerging industries shape local opportunities.

P.R. Lockhart, an economic development reporter for The Connecticut Mirror, is among the eleven early to mid-career reporters chosen for the initial cohort. The group represents ten regions across the United States, including states like Wisconsin, North Carolina, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Colorado.

Lockhart will direct her reporting toward Connecticut’s recent financial investments in the quantum computing sector. Her work will examine how these state efforts impact communities that are most in need of economic growth. The goal is to determine if these large-scale bets on new technology translate into tangible benefits for local residents.

Erica E. Phillips, the state policy editor at The Connecticut Mirror, stated that the outlet has a duty to monitor whether these major investments pay off. She noted that the fellowship provides the necessary support to investigate the details and hold state leaders accountable for their spending decisions.

New America is a public policy think tank that researches systems in the United States and globally. Work Shift is an independent news site covering education and economic opportunity. The two organizations will provide the fellows with strategic support, communications help, and financial resources.

The fellowship is part of a larger initiative to study policy solutions where workforce development and emerging technology meet. The stories produced by the group will illustrate how technological changes are affecting communities in various parts of the country. Other newsrooms participating in the program include The Guardian and Open Campus.