Rachel Piper
Principal Engineer WSP
Rachel Piper MEng CEng MICE FICE, is a Principal Chartered Civil Engineer and ICE Fellow, working in the Civils business at WSP. She is currently the Project Manager delivering the independent CAT3 checking works for 80 major assets across HS2.
Rachel is Chair of the WSP UK & Ireland Transport & Infrastructure Inclusion & Belonging Committee delivering campaigns across the business and creates industry-wide change through her role on the Institution of Civil Engineers “Fairness, Inclusion and Respect” Committee. Rachel is also an ICE STEM Ambassador and has introduced over 40,000 young people across the UK to the world of engineering.
Rachel was named as one of the Women’s Engineering Society Top 50 Women in Engineering in 2025 and has won numerous other engineering awards including the Ford Women in STEM, UK Construction & Engineering Undergraduate of the Year, ICE Southwest STEM Ambassador of the Year and was one of the ICE’s President’s Future Leaders 2022/23.
2026 Event Agenda Sessions
Panel: Inspiring the Next Generation of Engineers to Close the Skills Gap
- The engineering skills shortage is a challenge that goes beyond gender — from highly specialised engineers to technicians, the sector faces critical gaps as digitalisation, AI, and automation transform what skills are needed.
- What does the future engineering workforce actually look like, and where are the biggest shortfalls?
- Rethinking pathways into engineering: apprenticeships, vocational routes, and industry-academia partnerships all have a role, and these routes need to attract and inspire a broader, more diverse talent pool
Thursday 21 May 11:35 - 12:10 Electric Motor Forum Stage
Diversity & Inclusion - Bridging the Talent Gap
- The engineering skills shortage is a challenge that goes beyond gender — from highly specialised engineers to technicians, the sector faces critical gaps as digitalisation, AI, and automation transform what skills are needed.
- What does the future engineering workforce actually look like, and where are the biggest shortfalls?
- Rethinking pathways into engineering: apprenticeships, vocational routes, and industry-academia partnerships all have a role, and these routes need to attract and inspire a broader, more diverse talent pool
