CANBERRA, Australia (AP) - Australia is hoping to lure more American plumbers, electricians and construction workers to be employed on Outback projects in the burgeoning mining and gas industries by changing how their skills are assessed.
Currently U.S. skilled workers can wait in Australia for months before they are issued with licenses that allow them to work in a trade and they face the risk of being rejected if their skills don't meet Australian standards.
The government said Monday that the system will be overhauled this month so that their skills can be assessed in the United States, giving applicants certainty that they can work in their trade when they arrive.
Australia will also host its first ever skills expo in the United States to explain what jobs are available and how Americans can apply. Because of the resource industry focus, the expo will be held in Houston, Texas, on May 19 and 20. Similar expos have been held in Ireland and Greece where crippling government debt and recession have fueled unemployment.
Australia avoided recession during the global financial crisis thanks to Chinese demand for raw materials including iron ore and coal, Australia' two largest exports. The Australian unemployment rate is 5.2 percent.
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