The Government is joining an effort to promote more diversity in New Zealand boardrooms.
The Institute of Directors' "Future Directors" scheme is being extended to include state sector boards.
The idea is to encourage companies to promote more young people and women to board level.
Research shows that 77 percent of the top 122 NZX companies have less than 30 percent of women directors on their boards. Thirty-nine companies had no women on their boards at all.
That contrasts with the state sector, where 43.4 percent of board members are women. The aim there is to reach 45 percent.
