The head of a trust which aims to build a Maori economy says a new scholarship for Maori university students may help secure them jobs before they finish studying.
Te Putea Whakatupu Trust is offering ten Rona Whakamau Tai - scholarships each worth $10,000 - to students completing a degree in fisheries, aquaculture or marine sciences.
Chair Richard Jefferies says recipients will need to attend the Charting Pathways to Maori Industry Futures Conference in August.
He says students who received a different scholarship last year, attended a similar conference made up of people from the business community.
Mr Jefferies says that led to some of them securing work before they completed their studies, with others gaining internships.