Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. I am wondering if, to start, she can tell me what percent of NWT's small/medium business owners are women? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do have a number on that with respect to women. It comes from national statistics naming that 24 percent of businesses are majority-owned by women. There are 3,378 small businesses here in the Northwest Territories, so I'm sure that will give her the ability to do the math that she wants. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I am wondering what percent of total BDIC loan funding goes to women entrepreneurs in the Northwest Territories?
BDIC's statistics do show that approximately nine percent of total loans go to businesses where women are the sole proprietor. Approximately, 55 percent of total loans go to those where there's a woman who is, at least, a part-owner of the business.
I don't think I have to say too much to that. I think it's pretty obvious that there is some room for improvement. Mr. Speaker, I'm wondering what supports are available to NWT women to foster successful entrepreneurship, and are any new initiatives in the works for this year?
ITI's very proud to partner with individual communities, particularly through the Community Futures programming. I can highlight that this year, the Thebacha Business Development Services ran an Indigenous women and entrepreneurship seminar, which we were proud to be a part of. Similarly, here in Yellowknife, the Chamber of Commerce hosted women's Trailblazers Symposium. I think that's, in fact, coming up just next week. We're proud to be a sponsor of that. Similarly, BDIC, although not specific to women, does host a quite large number of support services for businesses. It is of note given the theme that's being presented, that since April 1st of 2020, 65 percent of the attendees at the learning centre sessions hosted by BDIC, in fact, were women.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It's interesting to me that, as someone who grew up in the North, a number of people who decided to become entrepreneurs, whether or not they're men or women, who I went to high school with. When I talk to people from different communities, people have different parts of their life that they're passionate about, and they want to be able to turn that into a business. I'm wondering if the Minister of ITI would commit to working with the Minister of ECE in order to develop high-school-based business curriculum for NWT students? Thank you.
This actually allows me to answer the last part of the previous question that I realize I didn't get to. With respect to curriculum, that certainly falls very much within ECE's purview. With respect to the kind of programming and opportunities that are available for students in high school in a young age bracket, I absolutely will commit to speaking with ECE, with my colleague, to see what we can do so that we can find some complementary programs and ideas. One thing, Mr. Speaker, that ITI is right now at the idea stage of, and it's an exciting stage, is looking at bringing junior achievement back to the Northwest Territories. This is an exciting opportunity. It's kind of a program across Canada that really allows young people to understand business, understand entrepreneurship, and to develop some skills that hopefully will help them become the future entrepreneurs for the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral question. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
