Brothers' Keeper
The Southwest Mountain States Regional Council of Carpenters, in partnership with the Training Fund, offers Brothers’ Keeper to assist disadvantaged groups looking to improve their lives through hard work and dedication to a career in the carpentry trade. Through carpentry training and job placement assistance, the program helps educate and build effective skilled trade-workers.
Our 4-week Brothers’ Keeper program is designed to introduce the many different crafts available to a Union Carpenter and to find the perfect fit FOR YOU!
Become a Brothers' Keeper
Interested in becoming a Brothers' Keeper? Call or visit the Whittier Training Center for more information and to get the process started!
- Must be 18 years old
- Must have reliable transportation
- Must be able to lift 60+ pounds
- Must pass drug screening
- No experience necessary
- No criminal background check
We will help develop your skills in the following areas:
- Safety – OSHA 10 Certification
- Math for the trades
- Material & tool recognition and handling
- Intro to basic metal stud framing
- Intro to concrete form work
Brothers’ Keeper works with local communities to increase support for and membership in the carpenters union. The program sponsors events and holds job fairs for anyone interested in a career with the union. It also gives qualified candidates an early introduction to the carpentry trade.
Recruits are invited to attend Boot Camp Orientation, a five-hour evaluation and screening process conducted by carpenters union members, who select the group’s top prospects to attend the My Brother’s Keeper Pre-Apprenticeship program. This free program includes two weeks of intense training and instruction at a local training center.
The first week of the Pre-Apprenticeship program explains what to expect as a carpenter, including how participants should conduct themselves on a construction site, soft skills, math 101, tape measuring and reading, material identification and using hand and power tools. On passing the first week, participants receive the OSHA safety certification.
The second week of the Pre-Apprenticeship program provides hands-on construction training, including how to do layouts, metal studs, wood framing, setting wood forms for concrete and additional material identification. Participants also practice nailing exercises and scaffold erecting, and learn safe working procedures. The second week concludes with mock interviews to help participants gain confidence in their job-seeking abilities.
