AMMA Skills Connect has been established to provide resource employers with the ability to reach services ranging from school-to-work programs, traineeships, apprenticeships, verification of competency, migrant gap training and labour sourcing.

It is further aiming to deliver specialised training and skill development programs to attract more locals into resource jobs.

AMMA executive director Minna Knight said Australia's mining, oil and gas operations were recording a phenomenal average employment growth of 25% per year.

"It's not unusual for any one project to require thousands of workers with specialised skill sets during the critical construction phase and this demand is forecast to intensify as a $A500 billion pipeline of resource projects create 90,000 new jobs by 2016," she said.

"With acute skills shortage on the horizon, AMMA Skills Connect is one way the industry is working proactively to create a greater pool of Australian workers with highly adaptable qualifications and technical abilities."

Last month, the Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics reported Australia's resources and energy commodity export earnings were forecast to reach $189 billion in 2012-13.

According to BREE, the majority of major minerals and energy commodities export volumes, especially in terms of bulk commodities, were forecast to increase next year and expected to grow for several years to come.

The largest increase in volumes is forecast for LNG, set to rise by 21% and reflected in the start-up of the Pluto LNG project which will boost Australia's LNG capacity from about 20 million tonnes to more than 24Mt.

Similarly, the Reserve Bank of Australia recently said peak investment in the resource sector was likely to occur next year, although at a lower level than earlier expected, while the construction sector was expected to flourish again in two years time.

Under the skills initiative, AMMA will partner with resource employers and training and development organisations to create programs across skills, trade and qualification areas.

Knight said a number of pilot programs already held under the AMMA Skills Connect banner had successfully demonstrated the initiative would deliver practical solutions to meet the industry's labour sourcing needs.

Recently AMMA partnered with Consolidated Contracting Company and XLT Trainers to develop a scholarship program for Australians with little or no experience in the resource industry to become qualified to work on pipeline construction.

"The first graduates, armed with internationally recognised qualifications in metals and engineering, were offered positions with CCC as trade assistants," Knight said.

"[They] will go on to further their skills and become experienced welders on projects including pipeline construction from the Surat Basin to Gladstone for the Australia Pacific Liquefied Natural Gas project in Queensland."

Other institutes partnering with the program so far include XLT Institute of Welding, Engineering and Technology, the Master Plumbers Association, Civil Contractors Federation, National Electrical and Communications Association, IFAF and Vetassess.