Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has met with his indigenous advisory council for the first time since taking the top job.
High on the to-do list were issues such as economic management and growth in indigenous communities.
Council chief Warren Mundine praised Mr Turnbull for approaching indigenous affairs more broadly than his predecessor.
"We've got to be innovative," Mr Mundine said was the message of the meeting.
"It's not just about training people for a job it's about training people for beyond that."
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Taking an innovative approach to indigenous affairs, and closing the gap, will involve new technologies.
During the meeting Mr Turnbull raised rolling out a smartphone app for teachers which would send a message to parents of any children who weren't in the classroom and could keep track of students in the case of an emergency.
The council will continue meeting well in to the evening on Wednesday to nut out its priorities for the coming months.
The council was established by Mr Abbott two years ago.
