But Engineers Australia believe women who graduate and secure employment often outperform their male colleagues and become integral parts of the workforce.

Policy analyst Andre Kaspura told a Standing Committee on Education and Employment the number of girls studying physics and advanced mathematics at high school had fallen to just 6.5 per cent.

"This underpins the reason why the participation of women generally in engineering is low," he said. "The astonishing thing, however, is that the number of the young ladies who choose to go from school to engineering do exceptionally well.

"Even though there is a very low proportion of girls going into engineering, what we are getting are extremely talented young women."

Professor Elanor Huntington, dean of engineering and computer science at the Australian National University, agreed with Mr Kaspura's assessment and said women tended to excel at engineering despite societal attitudes.

"Of course, we see girls substantially underrepresented in our first year intake and that is consistent right across the country," she said.

"But the girls who do choose to study engineering are high achievers and our data shows their grade point average is slightly higher than boys' on average."

Professor Huntington, a quantum optics specialist, became the ANU's first engineering dean in mid-2014 after working with the Australian Defence Force Academy. She believes the industry is aware of the problem, and efforts are being made to encourage more girls to embrace science and mathematics.

"There is a lot of discussion about the lack of women working in this field at every part of the system, from employers to universities and high schools," she said. "It's great there is this attention but it is a complex problem that has a lot to do with societal attitudes."

Professor Huntington is hopeful programs like the university's Girls in Engineering and Technology Program, held on Thursday, will encourage more girls to study science after school.

Paige Brown, a first-year software engineering student at the ANU who hopes to work in cyber security, said she was conscious of the gender gap.

"I accept that this is how it is but I think there should be more girls studying IT," she said. "Many feel they don't get the opportunity because it is often considered to be a male occupation."

Mia Bueno, a year 12 student at St Clare's College, said she had been thinking of studying software engineering for years but was convinced after engagement with university and industry.

Ms Bueno was one of eight girls among 120 boys who participated in a hackathon event in Canberra last year. She picked up the major prize with a pitch to get more girls involved in software engineering.

Jonathan Russell, national manager of public affairs for Engineers Australia, said the government needed to take a lead and support industry and academics.

"Within the profession we have a responsibility to think about how we behave as a profession, and the Prime Minister has to think about the way they approach their employment relations," he said.

"It is a whole-of-society issue. Things like government advertising that are making a point about showing young girls and young boys talking about science, engineering and maths, is one way. It has to be multilayered."

Niki Robinson, president of Engineers Australia South Australia, said there was a misconception about engineers, and a lack of female role models had proved a problem.

"People think we're either constructing roads or bridges," she said. "There's no sense of, if I became a biomedical engineer, I could help someone who can't talk."