Indians may fill mining skills gap

Australian and Indian officials have started talks with tertiary institutions and training bodies in both nations about opening up Australia's training system, the Australian Financial Review (AFR) reports.

As many as 100,000 Indians would be trained under the plan to work in both countries and up to 30,000 Australian-trained graduates could be recruited locally.

India prompted the initiative after a realisation it needs about one million skilled workers to develop its own mining industries.

Demand for the Indian graduates will rely on the demands of mining companies, who have also been involved in discussions with officials from both countries.

Australia's senior trade official in India, Peter Linford told the AFR the skills training program offered huge opportunities for education and industry.

Mr Linford said Austrade was working with the mining sector and India's skills development group on the scheme which could become a model for other industries in other countries.

Indian trainees would be trained to Australian standards and employed on the same conditions as Australians.

They would be subject to existing immigration rules.

A Skills Australia report earlier this week said Australia would need 2.4 million extra skilled workers in the next four years to meet the demands of the mining boom.

Treasurer Wayne Swan said the government's priority was to train Australians first and foremost for jobs but skilled migrants would be needed.

"What the government is going to do is train Australians... we're going to make sure that Australians can participate in the benefits of the boom," Mr Swan told Sky News.

Too many Australians were able to join the workforce but were not, the treasurer said.

"In particular there are some concentrations of inter-generational or welfare dependants in parts of the country that we need to deal with, we need to help those people back into the workforce."