The Government is celebrating a significant milestone in its campaign to get more people into trade apprenticeships.
Since it launched two years ago, 50,000 people have taken up subsidised apprenticeships - 19 percent of those went to Māori.
It coincides with a marae-led job expo in south Auckland that provided a space for rangatahi to engage with career opportunities.
Papakura High School performed kapa haka at their local marae to kick off the Nōu Te Ao Employment Expo.
"[It's] a safe space for Māori to actually ask those questions, have those kōrero about career paths and where they want to go," Te Puni Kōkiri senior advisor Rāwiri Te Hurinui-Haumaha told Newshub.
Held at Auckland's Papakura Marae, the event provides an opportunity to connect job seekers with businesses like Fonterra.
Similar expos held in the past have been successful.
Papakura Marae found they provide an environment for candid one-on-one conversations.
"Some of them have convictions, and I told them that's fine, we can work around that even if they've got curfews," Tom Tuipulotu from Building Brothers Construction said.
Joe Dickey, 17, is still in school, but he's keen to join the Defence Force.
"I think it's better to talk to the recruiters face-to-face."
There are a lot of industries at the expo including manufacturing, Fonterra and even Spookers.
"These industries are all local industries, we work with them every day," Papakura Marae CEO Tony Kake told Newshub.
Kake said it's about finding employment but also "pathways to training and further education".
An area the Government is making progress in with 50,000 subsidised apprenticeships since their "boost programme" was launched in August 2020.
"I feel really proud of this milestone," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.
It's all part of a grassroots push to get young people, especially Māori, into work and education opportunities.
The Government announced it's expanding youth development programmes in south and west Auckland to bring down a spike in youth crime - something Papakura Marae is supportive of.
"Whānau that are not in employment, education or training, come to the marae, we'll see them through to the next stage," Kake told Newshub
Re-engaging youth is no simple task but this marae-led kaupapa is taking it into its own hands.
