Louis A. Ontiveros

Building a better future

On behalf of our entire staff, welcome to the Southwest Mountain States Carpenters Training Fund website! Whether you’re a current apprentice, journey worker, employer or community partner—or you’re interested in becoming a member—we invite you to explore the many exciting learning opportunities we offer.

Established in 1958, the Southwest Mountain States Carpenters Training Fund is committed to providing the highest level of training and lifelong learning opportunities for United Brotherhood of Carpenters union members. We also pride ourselves in meeting the training needs of the union’s participating employers.

In my role as the Training Fund’s Executive Director, I have the opportunity to lead a dynamic organization at a time of great potential for modernization and growth. We firmly believe that, to meet the challenges of rapidly changing technology in the construction industry and the globalization of our economy, our members must become highly knowledgeable in a broad range of skills.

To that end, we employ continuous curriculum development to provide the training certifications needed for journey workers to advance in their chosen fields, as well as necessary training enhancements for new and emerging technologies. We also partner with local education agencies to ensure a highly professional approach to training. And our instructors encourage the development of the work ethics and values that create highly skilled and productive workers.

Thank you for visiting our website. We’ll see you in class!

Louis A. Ontiveros
Executive Director

What We Do

The Southwest Mountain States Carpenters Training Fund is committed to maintaining the United Brotherhood of Carpenters’ tradition of quality craftsmanship by providing the highest quality training to those interested in a career in the various carpentry fields. This training offers a pathway to career opportunities for the next generation of carpenter, to earn a paycheck that can support a family, access to affordable health care, receive a secure and dignified retirement, and ultimately achieve the American Dream.

The Southwest Mountain States Carpenters Training Fund is committed to providing lifelong learning opportunities for the United Brotherhood of Carpenters union members and to meet the training needs of its participating employers, including training certifications in the skills needed for journeyman to advance in their chosen field, as well as necessary retraining enhancements for new and emerging technologies.

How We Do It

The Southwest Carpenters Mountain States Training Fund is a federally recognized non-profit Taft-Hartley Trust Fund. We believe that a joint labor-management structure provides a stronger working relationship between management and the union and yields better results. The Trust’s activities include funding trade related apprenticeship programs and providing facilities and equipment that accelerate learning and reinforce a safe and healthy learning environment. We partner with local education agencies to ensure a professional approach to training. We employ continuous curriculum development to keep abreast of technological advances and encourage the work ethics and values that turn out highly skilled and productive workers. Our vocational programs provide union contractors the skilled manpower they need to succeed in this highly competitive industry.