Two area middle schools are taking part in a pilot program that will assess how well eighth-grader students are prepared for college or careers in high-demand fields.

Marshall Intermediate Center in South Bend and Lakeview Middle School in Warsaw are both taking part in the Indiana Career Explorer‘s program.

The program will give eighth-graders classroom instruction to help them assess their current skills, learn more about high-demand jobs and consider what careers they might pursue once they graduate from high school.

State schools Superintendent Jennifer McCormick says the pilot program that starts next spring at the participating schools will be “a great way to introduce students to thinking about their future.”

State lawmakers authorized the pilot program earlier this year. The program is a partnership between the Indiana Department of Education and the state’s Department of Workforce Development.

The Associated Press contributed to this story