The Waikato-Tainui executive's chairperson says over the next three years his organisation could create up to 800 full-time jobs.
Tukoroirangi Morgan, was speaking at a conference on the social services Whanau Ora programme, in Auckland on Tuesday.
He says the positions wouldn't all be low-skilled and would provide long term employment.
Mr Morgan says he has asked Social Development Minister, Paula Bennett, to create a longer employment training scheme so tangata whenua can start working on projects around the preservation of the Waikato River.
He also says he has approached a mining company in Australia and suggested his iwi start a training and job programme for people who want to move to Perth.
