The South Australian mining sector will offer training to Aboriginal job seekers under a state and federal program for one million dollars.

Regional mining sites across the state will train up to 150 Aboriginal job seekers as businesses will be able to partner with Registered Training Organisations to apply for funding in the second ‘Connecting Aboriginal People to Mining’ program.

Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation Minister Grace Portolesi said the Commonwealth will provide $500000 to the program in 2011-12 in addition to the state government’s equivalent amount.

“The State Government is working with the Commonwealth, Aboriginal communities and industry to halve the gap in employment outcomes in the community between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people by 2018,” Ms Portolesi said.

“The aim of this target is to provide jobs for a further 520 Aboriginal people during that period,” she said.

Minister Assisting the Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education Tom Kenyon said the state government provided $500000 for the first program in 2010-11.

“Aboriginal job seekers undertook accredited and non-accredited training in vocations related to the mining and supporting sectors that led to employment,” Mr Kenyon said.

According to Mr Kenyon, mining companies such as BHP Billiton, Oz Minerals and Ilika have partnered with providers such as Access Working Careers, Trainway, Career Employment Group, Port Augusta TAFE and Xceptional Recruitment.

"There was a strong response from industry to the inaugural program which ran earlier this year with training undertaken in Mount Willoughby, Port Augusta and Iluka mines," Mr Kenyon said.

He said participants who have completed their training in Certificate II in Surface Extraction Operations will be able to seek work in geology, laboratory work and administration positions.