A new mentorship program is being launched in Toronto on Wednesday with the aim of increasing the number of young black people working in the construction industry. NextGen Builders, a pilot project, will connect youth with mentors who are professional tradespeople. Organizers of the program say the idea is to diversify the construction industry in the Greater Toronto Area and to provide young people with the skills needed to secure employment and build careers in the trades. The program is an initiative of Toronto Community Benefits Network, a community-labour coalition, in partnership with LiUNA’s African American Canadian Caucus.