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

Updated October 9, 2025 | Brad Fishbein

Table of Contents
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Here are the best schools in Paterson. This guide lists accredited programs, apprenticeships, and New Jersey licensing steps so you can train, test, and get hired1.

Top Trade Schools in Paterson

Verify current offerings, accreditation, and schedules23.

School Program Length Highlights
Passaic County Community College (Paterson) Certificates 6–12 months; AAS ~2 years MSCHE accredited. Workforce and technical programs including allied health and trades-related upskilling2.
Eastwick College – Paterson/Hackensack (regional) 9–18 months Institutionally accredited; HVACR, Electrical, and allied programs; accelerated schedules and externships. Verify program availability2.
Lincoln Tech – Union (regional) 9–15 months ACCSC accredited3. HVACR and Electrical programs with EPA 608 prep; day/evening schedules.
UTI – Bloomfield (regional) 9–18 months ACCSC accredited3. Automotive and Diesel programs with manufacturer-aligned training.

Licensing Requirements in New Jersey

  • Electrical Contractors: Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors. Apprenticeship/experience + exam + business permit to contract4.
  • HVACR Contractors: Board of Examiners of HVACR Contractors. Apprenticeship/education + exam; EPA 608 required for refrigerants56.
  • Plumbers: State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers. 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 employment. 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.