Best Trade Schools in Clifton, New Jersey (2025 Guide)

Updated October 9, 2025 | Brad Fishbein

Table of Contents
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Here are the best schools in Clifton and Passaic County. This guide lists accredited programs, apprenticeships, and New Jersey licensing steps1.

Top Trade Schools in Clifton

Verify current offerings and accreditation23.

School Program Length Highlights
Passaic County Community College (Paterson/Passaic) Certificates 6–12 months; AAS ~2 years MSCHE accredited. Workforce and technical programs; flexible schedules2.
Eastwick College – Paterson/Hackensack 9–18 months Institutionally accredited; HVACR, Electrical, and allied programs; accelerated schedules and externships. Verify availability2.
Lincoln Tech – Union 9–15 months ACCSC accredited3. HVACR and Electrical programs with EPA 608 prep; day/evening schedules.
UTI – Bloomfield 9–18 months ACCSC accredited3. Automotive & Diesel with manufacturer-aligned training and career services.

Licensing Requirements in New Jersey

  • Electrical: Apprenticeship/experience + exam + business permit to contract4.
  • HVACR: Apprenticeship/education + exam; EPA 608 required56.
  • Plumbing: Apprenticeship → journeyperson → master exam + business permit7.
  • Welding: No state license; employers require performance certifications; NCCER is common8.

Next Steps

  • Compare NJ programs: /trade-school/new-jersey/
  • Explore trades and credentials: /trades/
  • National guides: /trade-school/

Ask each school how programs map to New Jersey licensing and business permit requirements.

  1. BLS, NY–Newark–Jersey City Metro. bls.gov/oes ↩

  2. U.S. Department of Education, College Navigator. nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/ ↩ ↩ ↩

  3. ACCSC Directory. accsc.org/schools/directory/ ↩ ↩ ↩

  4. NJ Electrical Contractors Board. njconsumeraffairs.gov/elec ↩

  5. NJ HVACR Contractors Board. njconsumeraffairs.gov/hvacr ↩

  6. U.S. EPA, Section 608. epa.gov/section608 ↩

  7. NJ Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers. njconsumeraffairs.gov/plu ↩

  8. NCCER Credentials. nccer.org/credentialing/ ↩

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Brad Fishbein Licensed Mold Assessor

Meet the author: Brad Fishbein is a Florida Licensed Mold Assessor and council-certified Microbial Investigator. He’s the founder of TradeCareerPath.com and has completed over 5,000 mold inspections since 2009. Brad now helps homeowners and tradespeople make smart decisions about mold, licensing, and skilled career paths.