In the new year, the government of Saskatchewan is rolling out Scale Up for Entrepreneurs and the Digital Literacy for Entrepreneurs programs to support women entrepreneurs in the province.
The measures coincide with the release of a new Women Entrepreneurs report , which indicates for 2020 over one third of self-employed people in the province are women, about 34,000 people. Nearly 18 per cent being in agriculture.
Women make up the majority of self-employed workers in the business support sector at 56 per cent, and almost half of the self-employed in the accommodation and food services sector.
Scale Up for Entrepreneurs
The Scale Up for Entrepreneurs initiative will provide $450,000 to help eligible Saskatchewan entrepreneurs receive relevant skills and knowledge training to grow their businesses.
The program will provide support for 50 women and under-represented Saskatchewan entrepreneurs (Indigenous, visible minority, youth and persons experiencing disabilities) and will take applications in January 2022.
There will be training to support skills development in areas such as leadership and management, business strategy, marketing and sales, financial management and human resource strategies will be included. Eligible entrepreneurs will also have access to coaching and mentorship following the training.
Digital Literacy for Entrepreneurs
The Digital Literacy for Entrepreneurs will provide $1.6 million for the digital literacy needs of entrepreneurs, including women entrepreneurs, who want to integrate digital technologies in their operations, while mitigating future risks associated with the application of technology.
Programming will include basic operations, foundational, strategic and specialized digital skills to ensure appropriate learning for entrepreneurs in their service area. The program will support over 300 participants and is expected to launch in early next year.
The new Women Entrepreneurs in Saskatchewan report can be downloaded off the government website.