TX HB5194

Establishes the Rural Workforce Training Grant Program administered by the Texas Workforce Commission to fund job-specific training, apprenticeships, and workforce education in counties with populations under 200,000

Grants may be awarded to public, private, or nonprofit entities including business associations, local workforce boards, and educational institutions for costs such as training materials, instructor fees, facility fees, and participant wraparound expenses

Requires grant recipients to provide periodic reports on fund usage and participant outcomes, with the commission submitting annual effectiveness reports to the governor and legislature by December 1 each year

Authorizes state agencies to partner with public junior colleges and technical institutes to create a state information technology apprenticeship credential program that includes a one-year apprenticeship with a state agency, major IT project organization, or regional network security center

Directs the state auditor's classification officer to review position classifications and allows an associate degree combined with the IT apprenticeship credential to substitute for a four-year bachelor's degree in state agency career ladder programs