The National Party is pledging to provide an extra 2000 places for Maori and Pasifika in trades training.
Steven Joyce Photo: RNZ / Diego Opatowski
The plan is part of its Maori Economic Development Policy released in Whangarei this afternoon. It will expand the current trades training programme at a cost of $30 million over four years.
National's economic development spokesperson Steven Joyce said the policy would give more young Maori opportunities for careers in industries experiencing skills shortages, such as agriculture and the trades.
Mr Joyce said construction on the Ptuhoi to Wellsford road, a major highway extension near Auckland, would begin in 2016.
The project is estimated to cost about $750 million and could take four to five years to complete.