The Maori King is supporting a work scheme for young people, which is being developed by mayors across the country.
The Mayors Taskforce for Jobs is following a similar plan across the Tasman that's helping to get 50,000 indigenous Australians into employment.
The taskforce has started talking with tangata whenua, including Kingi Tuheitia, about the scheme.
The plan has inspired Kingi Tuheitia to want his Waikato-Tainui iwi to work towards creating career pathways for rangatahi (young people).
A spokesperson for the King says he's supportive of the Mayors Taskforce concept and has called for his tribe to do more than provide education grants to tribal members.
The Maori King notes that Tainui Group Holdings Limited has a tribal asset base of about $800 million, which has prompted him to question what has been done to create employment for tribal descendants.
