Find Training / Trade Schools
Trade & Vocational Schools
Hands-on training for skilled trades and technical careers in and near NYC, from free public programs to licensed trade schools.
Before you enroll
- Check the free options first. Co-op Tech, Adult Education, CUNY, and pre-apprenticeships cost nothing.
- For a school that charges tuition, ask about the total cost, the completion and job-placement rates, and whether credits transfer.
- Be careful about taking out large loans. Read 10 things to know about for-profit colleges.
- Many union apprenticeships pay you while you train. See NY State Registered Apprenticeships.
Free public options
Start here: no tuition.
- NYC Public SchoolsCo-op Tech ↗A free NYC public school with half-day career and technical education for ages 17–21, open to current high school students and graduates. Trades include automotive, construction, electrical, plumbing, welding, culinary, cosmetology, health services, IT, and OSHA safety. Spring 2027 applications open November 16.
- NYC Public SchoolsAdult Education: Career & Technical Education ↗Tuition-free classes for NYC residents 21 and older without a U.S. high school diploma, including career and technical training. Some CTE classes have limited space for adults who already have an HSE.
- CUNYWorkforce Training @ CUNY →Short-term career courses and certificates at CUNY colleges in every borough. Some are free or offer tuition help.
Pre-apprenticeship into the union building trades
Free programs that prepare you for, and help you enter, paid union apprenticeships.
- Building Trades CouncilConstruction Skills (CSKILLS) ↗Training and direct entry into union building and construction apprenticeships for NYC public high school seniors and other NYC residents.
- Building Trades CouncilNontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) ↗Prepares, trains, and places women in construction, utility, and maintenance trades.
- Building Trades CouncilPathways to Apprenticeship (P2A) ↗Direct-entry pre-apprenticeship that recruits, trains, and mentors people from low-income communities for union construction apprenticeships in NYC and Westchester.
- NYC District Council of CarpentersCarpenters BuildingWorks Pre-Apprenticeship ↗A 4-week training with direct entry into the Carpenters apprenticeship, for NYC residents 17+ with a diploma or GED and a year of paid work experience.
- NYS Department of LaborDirect-Entry Pre-Apprenticeship Programs (list) ↗New York State’s official list of approved pre-apprenticeship programs that offer direct entry into registered apprenticeships.
Licensed trade schools in NYC
These charge tuition. Financial aid may be available, so compare costs and outcomes first (see the tips above).
- QueensApex Technical School ↗Certificate programs in AC & refrigeration, construction, culinary, electrical, plumbing, and welding. Licensed by the NYS Education Department and accredited by ACCSC.
- QueensLincoln Tech (Queens campus) ↗Programs in automotive, collision repair, diesel, electrical/electronics, HVAC, welding, medical assistant, and practical nursing.
Near NYC
Adult career and technical programs run by county BOCES.
- Long IslandNassau BOCES Adult Career & Technical Education ↗Evening certificate programs in Westbury, including automotive, cosmetology, culinary, HVAC, plumbing, welding, light diesel, clinical medical assistant, and veterinary assistant.
- WestchesterSouthern Westchester BOCES Adult & Community Services ↗Tuition-based workforce training in healthcare, technology, and the trades, with funding sources available, plus free HSE and English classes. For job training, call 914-592-0849.