The 2019 Workforce Skills survey revealed that engineering was a prominent skill shortage in the Riverina.

This data was supported by the job search website SEEK, which had close to 100 vacancies.

Great Southern Electrical managing director Shaun Duffy, who is based in Wagga, said the firm has struggled to employ people over the years.

"It's hard to get people to come to regional areas," Mr Duffy said.

"I think there's a shortage of people in vocational employment.

"I think that's mainly because there's such a push to go to university to study law, business management or accounting, rather than engineering or becoming a tradesperson."

Mr Duffy said engineers underpin a lot of industries and the shortage can have flow-on effects to other industries, like construction.

"Engineering is very important; you need engineers to design things, in order to build things," he said.

"[Struggle to employ people] is a lot better now than what it used to be ... we try and train our own people now.

"[Engineers] have the ability to travel because there's a shortage, which means you can basically go anywhere to work."

According to TAFE NSW, the average weekly salary for industrial, mechanical and production engineers is $1653.

The University of Technology in Sydney announced it would lower entry scores for female applicants in male-dominated courses, including engineering and construction, in a bid to address gender imbalances as well as fill shortages.

Charles Sturt University's Professor of engineering Euan Lindsay said the institution is not "blind" to the engineering shortage.

"There's a mismatch between supply and demand of engineers ... there's work to be done and communities to be serviced," Professor Lindsay said.

"There is a very narrow tightrope for people to enter regional practice ... those working as an engineer in the region, have to think whether their partner will get work in Wagga.

"Young people are looking for continuity of career not just a job."

Professor Lindsay argued the problem is primarily around attracting people to regional areas, rather than a lack of women.

"Young women tend to have a lot of options and can succeed in a lot of other careers," he said.

"Absolutely, there's a need to improve diversity ... and there's more we can do to look at why they choose other pathways."

Like Mr Duffy, Professor Lindsay said engineering "underpins" many industries and solves problems within society.

"Engineering is how you bring communities together ... through clean drinking water, food security, they all have at the heart engineering solutions," he said.