Western Sydney’s future female science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) workers are bridging the gap between their studies and the real world by observing the construction of a new community footbridge.

At St Marys Senior High School, Year 11 Engineering Studies students have been shadowing Laing O’Rourke’s construction at St Marys Railway Station as part of their Inspiring STEM+ Programme, which aims to spark an interest in STEM and construction careers for young women.

Careers adviser, Cheryll Ruskin, said the programme was an exciting taste tester for students to explore post-school pathways.

“We went on site and the foreman treated us like proper visitors where we took part in the physical warm up, wore high vis, did an induction and worked through things like hazard identification,” Ms Ruskin said.

“The students were quite mesmerised by all the people involved.

“They understood that a project comes to you and you receive the specifications, but they didn’t realise how many teams were involved in the delivery.”

Once complete, the new footbridge will link the carpark on the northern side of the station with the town centre, connecting commuters with bus facilities, rideshares and the upcoming metro and heavy rail.

After integrating lessons from the build with their coursework, the students put their heads together to pitch a St Marys Community Project to repurpose a shipping container to a panel of judges.

Students had to consider elements like purpose, clientele, infrastructure, design, sustainability and timelines.

Their ideas for the shipping container included a youth library, eco space and peer support area.

Nuvairah Fahad aspires to pursue a career in engineering after high school and worked with her group to deliver a project on a community space that celebrates Indigenous culture.

“Being a part of the program has strengthened this passion as I had the opportunity to work with engineers and was able to gain a genuine understanding into how engineering works,” Nuvairah said.

"My group designed the Common Container, a community space that celebrates Indigenous culture, giving me an insight into how engineers are able to identify problems and create solutions.

"Overall, the program was an incredibly valuable experience which shaped my passion for engineering so that I can make an impact within society."

Ms Ruskin said it was a great opportunity for the students to work with Laing O’Rourke and learn about the different types of careers in construction.

“Experiences like these allow students to see themselves in this type of work, especially as they worked with a female intern who shared her experiences with university and work,” Ms Ruskin said.