AUBURN — To heighten awareness of jobs and career training, area high school students will share what they’ve learned about becoming a chef, a nurse or other vocations with Auburn Middle School seventh-graders Friday.

A team of 70 middle school students will learn about health care, culinary arts, early childhood education and development, and robotics and manufacturing from Lewiston Regional Technical Center students, middle school teacher Roberta O’Neill said.

March is career and technical education month for middle school students, she said.

O’Neill has worked with LRTC’s Walter Ridlon to bring in high school students in as speakers after hearing some seventh-graders express an interest in culinary arts.

On Tuesday, March 17, all Auburn Middle School seventh-graders will visit Central Maine Community College in Auburn for Careers for Maine Day.

“I don’t think you can start too early,” O’Neill said. Through LRTC courses, students “can learn a vocation, get a great paying job” while still in high school, which can help some save for college, she said. Not all students will get four-year degrees, she said.

“These kids are leaving us soon to go to high school,” O’Neill said. If students are interested in law enforcement, they’ll need to plan and sign up for classes early, since some have waiting lists.

“There are some great programs,” O’Neill said. “Sometimes kids don’t know they exist, or get locked into schedules. They can build their schedules around vocational classes.” Sometimes students need a nudge to find opportunities, she said.

This year, middle school educators have focused on connecting students to the community. Other guest speakers include an Appalachian Trail hiker who talked about perseverance, local military veterans and a cancer survivor.

O’Neill said she hopes to have the career talks become an annual event.