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

Updated October 9, 2025 | Brad Fishbein

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

Top Trade Schools in Trenton

Verify current offerings and accreditation23.

School Program Length Highlights
Mercer County Community College (West Windsor/Trenton) Certificates 6–12 months; AAS ~2 years MSCHE accredited. Workforce and technical programs with employer ties2.
Lincoln Tech – Philadelphia area (regional) 9–15 months ACCSC accredited3. HVACR and Electrical programs with EPA 608 prep; day/evening schedules.
IBEW Local 269 – Electrical JATC (Trenton) 3–5 years Registered electrical apprenticeship; paid OJT + classroom instruction.
UA Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 9 – Training (Englishtown) ~5 years Registered apprenticeship in plumbing/pipefitting/HVACR; paid training and certifications.

Licensing Requirements in New Jersey

  • Electrical: Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors — apprenticeship/experience + exam + business permit to contract4.
  • HVACR: Board of Examiners of HVACR Contractors — apprenticeship/education + exam; EPA 608 required56.
  • Plumbing: 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 how programs map to New Jersey licensing and business permit requirements.

  1. BLS, Trenton–Princeton 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.