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A young woman is sitting relaxed at a wooden table. She is wearing a beige sweater and blue pants. The background is dark with a work of art on the wall--A person works with a tool on the edge of a wooden frame. In the background, another craftsman is working on a piece of furniture. The scene appears artisanal and concentrated - a woman sanding a piece of wood and smiles as it does - a woman with a cloth bag climbs up the stairs to a modern building - a young woman with long hair smiles at the camera. In the background is a green plant--A young woman in a workshop smiling and standing behind a wooden frame--A woman is sitting relaxed in a chair and looking smiling at a man who is rebelling
Talents

Built on craftsmanship

Becoming a carpentry technician was not Anna-Sophie Kalcher’s first career choice—but it was the right one. She realized this during an internship at Josef Göbel. And the fact that she had to go back to school for her apprenticeship? “No problem,” says the career changer. After all, this is about something different.

A young woman is sitting relaxed at a wooden table. She is wearing a beige sweater and blue pants. The background is dark with a work of art on the wall

The Kalcher name carries weight at Josef Göbel. Brothers Jürgen and Wolfgang are practically fixtures within the company. About a year and a half ago, the family’s presence expanded with a third member. That said, Anna-Sophie Kalcher is not afforded any special privileges. However, her first internship in Fladnitz placed her in the design department—under the guidance of her father, Jürgen. It was there that she discovered her passion for carpentry technology.

A person works with a tool on the edge of a wooden frame. In the background, another craftsman is working on a piece of furniture. The scene appears artisanal and concentrated - a woman sanding a piece of wood and smiles as it does - a woman with a cloth bag climbs up the stairs to a modern building - a young woman with long hair smiles at the camera. In the background is a green plant
A young woman in a workshop smiling and standing behind a wooden frame

Originally, the now 20-year-old attended a Waldorf school, but the pandemic drained the joy from her studies. She sought out an apprenticeship—something solid, a foundation to build upon. Initially, she considered a career in mechatronics, yet her internship unexpectedly steered her toward woodworking.“I immediately liked the drawing aspect in the design office,” she says.

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In vocational school, students now work with AutoCAD—her first self-designed and built piece of furniture was a sideboard. “You can create some really cool things,” she says. “We are also starting to learn programming for CNC machines.” It seems she has rediscovered her love for school.

A woman is sitting relaxed in a chair and looking smiling at a man who is rebelling

TALENTS

Anna-Sophie Kalcher

Decorative

During the nine months of the year when she is not in vocational school, Anna-Sophie rotates through different departments at Josef Göbel, just like all apprentices. She has already worked in shopfitting and the craft workshop. She has yet to choose a favorite area—after just a year and a half, that might be too soon—but: “For example, we built the cash register for Solebox,” she says. “That was really interesting.”

“When I started designing in the planning department, I immediately knew—this is my thing! It makes me happy, and on top of that, something cool comes out of it.”

Anna-Sophie Kalcher

Looking Ahead

“The atmosphere among the apprentices,” she says, “is very good.” Recently, there were about ten apprentices, though some completed their final apprenticeship exams (LAP) in 2024. Most of them will likely stay with the company. As for what Anna-Sophie Kalcher will do after her LAP, she does not know yet. Right now, she is focused on vocational school. And after that, she still has two years of apprenticeship ahead of her.

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But who knows? Maybe one day she will follow in the footsteps of her father Jürgen or her uncle Wolfgang.

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