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How NJ students are solving the skilled trades shortage

Labor trends show a rising interest among Gen Z in careers in the trades.

Tom Krosnowski

Feb 19, 2026, 5:58 PM

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Labor trends show a rising interest among Generation Z in careers in the trades.

Over at The Training Center in Wrightstown, more than a dozen students from high schools in Trenton and Willingboro come twice a week to learn trades including HVAC, plumbing, boilers and electrical.

"It's really tough for parents to navigate higher education and college right now,” said general manager Dan Moscatiello. “We have the world of AI, and what jobs are there?"

"We can funnel them to where their interests are,” said HVAC program director Rob Roy.

News 12 spoke with students interested in careers in HVAC.

The Training Center is preparing to launch a second, much larger facility in Branchburg later this year, expanding the program's reach to students in North and Central Jersey.

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