There was recently a change in the Presidium of the Federation of Industry (IV) Burgenland. Heidi Adelwöhrer, CEO of the Neudoerfler office furniture manufacturer “Neudoerfler Office Systems”, took over the position of Vice President from Nina Katzbeck. Adelwöhrer, who has also been on the board of IV Burgenland since November 2018, wants to focus in her work – which she will do on a voluntary basis, like all of her colleagues in the IV presidium and board – on the topics of training, education, Focus teaching and staff.
“Above all, combating the shortage of skilled workers and making teaching more attractive are important concerns for me,” says Adelwöhrer. “If apprenticeship gains a better status in society and is not only seen as a plan B for young people if the school doesn’t work out, it also helps us to train sufficiently qualified specialists for the future.” Burgenland’s industry is desperately looking for it for suitable apprentices, the skilled workers of tomorrow. That is why this topic is very important to her. Nowadays, apprenticeship graduates have several avenues open to them – this is already an attractive achievement – than was the case before: not only a career in the training company, but also a high school diploma and further studies.
In order to make the apprenticeship training that little bit more attractive, Adelwöhrer also wants more spatial flexibility. “If someone lives or works on the border with Lower Austria or Styria, it should also be possible to attend the vocational school in the neighboring federal state in order to be able to better combine training and work.”
Adelwöhrer also wants to focus more on education, for example on the technical college offerings. “There has long been a lack of qualified personnel, especially in the fields of technology, IT and science. However, there are attractive job and training opportunities here. ”The industry is therefore very interested in comprehensive educational opportunities in Burgenland. “That is the key to the future, in which we will deal with a wide range of topics. For example, climate change can only be mastered using new technologies. Suitable staff are required for this. “
Digitization must be pushed further
One lesson that, according to Adelwöhrer, could be learned from the months of the corona pandemic is that digitization is important and must be pushed forward. “From one moment to the next, not only companies with home offices, but also schools and universities were confronted with home teaching. That showed all the more how important it is to create the conditions for digital working and learning in the world of work and in the education sector. “
The company “Neudoerfler”, which she runs together with Bernhardt Kronnerwetter, and the office furniture industry in general have not been spared from the Corona crisis either. “We were also on short-time working and in some areas still work with reduced working hours.” How this industry will develop in the near future cannot yet be foreseen. However, it could be observed that due to the partial change from office to home office, some have set up their workspace at home and placed greater emphasis on ergonomic furniture, which they have already had good experience with in offices furnished by Neudoerfler. The great strength of the company is to mass-produce tailor-made furniture “Made in Austria”. Attention is paid to sustainable forestry and cooperation with regional partners.
Slightly fewer than 300 people are employed at the headquarters in Neudörfl as well as in ten showrooms in Austria, Germany, Hungary and Slovakia and at the German subsidiary Planmöbel.
Adelwöhrer has been CEO of the company, which was founded in 1946, since 2018. Born in Vienna, she currently lives in the industrial district in Lower Austria. “But I’ve come to love Neudörfl as a place of work.”
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