Girl power at PALFINGER EPSILON

Technical career roles are still mostly filled by men. No wonder, then, that until just over a year ago, assembly at PALFINGER EPSILON in Elsbethen was still in the hands of men alone. That all changed in the autumn of 2019, with the arrival of Theresa Sporn. 

Theresa knew early on that she wanted to do something different. Due to the many possibilities, she initially could not decide, but she knew that she was interested in the technical side of things. This is where her uncle entered the picture, telling her about vacant apprenticeship positions in a mechanical engineering company in Salzburg. After successfully completing her mechanical engineering apprenticeship, Theresa worked at other companies before finally joining PALFINGER EPSILON in November 2019. 

Theresa works in the knuckle boom team led by Alexander Ortner. What she appreciates most about her job is the variety and her great colleagues. With a smile, Theresa tells us that she initially had to put the guys in their place a little. Now, working together is going very well, and the men in the assembly department appreciate Theresa a lot. The only thing she dislikes about her job is getting up early for the early shift, which is still hard for her even after almost a year.

Outside of work, Theresa likes to hike in the mountains or wield a wooden spoon in the kitchen. But she also does not neglect tinkering around and repairing things in her free time. Together with her boyfriend, she is always working on new solutions and helps with any repairs that may be necessary on their farm. 

Unlike in Austria, it is normal in Russia for women to work in technical areas. At the site in Russia, women have always worked in production and assembly as welders, fitters or painters, for example. At the PALFINGER production site in Lengau too, women are no longer a rarity in assembly. Many of them do their apprenticeship here directly after school and start a technical career. So, it is only a matter of time until Theresa gets some female support as well.