TORONTO, — The Ontario Chamber of Commerce is warning that the province is on the verge of a massive labour shortage, unless the government intervenes quickly.

A study on skilled trades released by the OCC says that 52 percent of tradespeople are expected to retire within the next 15 years, with 41 percent of survey respondents indicating they will face a labour shortage in their industry within the next five years. Twenty percent said they expect a shortage over the next 10 years.

The survey was conducted primarily with small to medium-sized businesses in construction, manufacturing, service, and transportation sectors. While truck drivers and heavy equipment operators aren’t usually categorized as skilled workers, for the purposes of the study they were included under the “Other” category, which made up 22 percent of respondents. Heavy-duty diesel mechanics were also included under the “Motive Power” category, which made up 11 percent of participants.

Almost half of all respondents attributed the coming shortage to the fact that trades are not viewed as desirable professions by young people. Another 186 businesses cited the educational system’s lack of focus and preparation for trades as a prime reason. Other comments addressed low wages, and too much competition with similar professions.

The OCC — which represents over 57,000 Ontario businesses — also said that last week’s announcement by the Ontario Liberals to invest $18 million in apprenticeship programs is a noble start, but will do little to address the looming shortage of workers. “The problem is real, the solutions are clear. What is needed now is a real commitment by government that they are willing to step up to the plate and provide solutions, not tokens,” the OCC said in a statement.