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Canada faces a shortage of 3,000 pilots and 55,000 workers overall in the aviation industry by 2025 — caused by retirements, industry growth and barriers to recruiting new workers.

The labour shortage is so severe that a national strategy is in the works to address it.

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But there are many problems, industry and Transport Canada officials heard at a forum Tuesday in Ottawa. Flight school costs at least $75,000 to reach an employable level. These schools may require students to live long distances from home.

Women and Indigenous people are under-represented at all levels. And younger pilots have to “pay their dues” at low-paying jobs for rural and northern airlines until they can move on to bigger aircraft.

“We’re flying more and more and we will continue to fly more and more,” Transport Minister Marc Garneau told the group Tuesday.

“We cannot afford to have labour shortages in the aviation industry.”