Relating to the development of a state information technology apprenticeship credential offered by public junior colleges or public technical institutes to address shortages in the state information resources workforce.
Summary
HB 2768 creates a new state information technology apprenticeship credential that public junior colleges and public technical institutes may offer in partnership with a state agency. The program is intended to help address shortages in the state information resources workforce by combining approved classroom instruction with a one-year apprenticeship at a state agency, a major information resources project, or a regional network security center. The credential must be approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and is designed to prepare participants for journey-level or senior-level IT positions in state government.
The bill also directs state administrative systems to recognize the credential more broadly. The executive director must update the department’s intra-agency career ladder program so that an associate degree plus the new credential can substitute for a four-year bachelor’s degree, and the state auditor’s classification officer must review and revise the state position classification plan and related job descriptions accordingly. If existing tuition and other funding are insufficient, state agencies may contribute funds and may also accept gifts, grants, and donations from public or private sources to support the program. The act takes effect September 1, 2025.
Impact
HB 2768 amends Chapter 2054, Government Code, by adding a new section authorizing state agencies to partner with public junior colleges and public technical institutes to create an apprenticeship-based IT credential. It affects state workforce policy, higher education workforce training, and state job classification practices by allowing an associate degree plus the credential to stand in for a bachelor’s degree in certain state IT career pathways. The bill also gives agencies flexibility to fund the program directly or through outside contributions, potentially expanding the pipeline of qualified applicants for state information technology positions.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broad bipartisan support and little visible opposition. It passed the House overwhelmingly and the Senate unanimously on the final recorded vote, indicating general agreement that the state should expand workforce training options for information technology jobs. The vote history suggests the measure was viewed as a practical workforce-development and government-efficiency initiative rather than a controversial policy change.
Contention
There is no committee transcript in the provided record, and the voting history shows minimal resistance overall. The only notable dissent appears in the Senate’s final recorded vote, where a small number of senators voted no, suggesting some concern about substituting an associate degree plus a credential for a bachelor’s degree in state job classifications or about the structure of apprenticeship-based credentialing. Any broader contention likely centers on standards, equivalency, and whether the credential should be treated as sufficient preparation for higher-level state IT roles.
Relates to the publication of information on public meetings; requires the office of information technology services to develop a mobile application and website to publish information on every public meeting held by a state or local public body; requires public bodies to report such meetings to the office of information technology services.