Girl power in the world of the cable car: three careers that make a difference.

When you think of cable cars, you probably think of technology, working at heights and heavy machinery – and so men probably spring to mind. But this picture is changing. Even though women are still in the minority in the industry, they do exist: the female cable car technicians, machine operators and operations managers who ensure that everything runs smoothly, day in day out – and the same goes for us here at Bad Kleinkirchheimer Bergbahnen. In this blog article, we’re shining the spotlight on three of them: our cable car technicians Anna and Sarah and head of technical operations Julia show us what’s possible when you dare to be different. Let’s follow their inspiring journeys as they show us the real meaning of girl power.

Women in a male-dominated industry. What do the figures tell us?

The statistics reveal that, according to the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, women make up around one third of workers in the cable car industry across Austria – if administration, cashier and technical professions are all counted together. But if we take a look at the technical professions alone, it quickly becomes clear that there’s still room for improvement. The breakdown of technical employees in our own team in winter 2025 demonstrates this: from a total of 113 technical employees, 109 were men and only 4 were women (as of March 2025).

That being said though, overall, the trend is moving in a positive direction – as evidenced by the number of apprentices training to be cable car technicians across Austria: while only three women chose this training path in 2011, according to the Institute for Economic Development, by 2023 this number had climbed to 25.

We can also observe a slight upward trend in the training of operations managers: although the overall share of women has only been 2.8% since 2017, the number of female graduates is steadily increasing

This makes it all the more important to give women in male-dominated industries a platform. In this way, they are able to motivate others and positively shape the image of the profession by their example – just as our three female pioneers in cable car technology do. Keep on reading to find out what influenced and what motivates them in their career choice:

Sarah Roth – The apprentice with plenty of horsepower.

At the age of 18, Sarah Roth is in the middle of her training as a cable car technician. Growing up in the middle of the ski resort, in St. Oswald, she realised early on: “I want to know how it all works and the technology behind it.”

Her path led her from Higher Secondary School for Economic Professions directly to the vocational school in Hallein – and every day that path loops back to the lifts. That’s where she not only reads technical plans, but also helps with maintenance, operation and troubleshooting and keeps an eye on snowmaking and slope grooming. What she once only watched on YouTube as a child, she can now experience in real life every day. Check out our blog article “Dancing with the cable rope” for a deeper insight into Sarah’s day-to-day work.

“The most exciting part is that no two days are the same and new tasks are waiting to be tackled every day, summer and winter.”

In her free time, Sarah likes to shift up a gear and rely on horsepower – and by that we mean in horseriding as well as driving. But she also wants to push forward in cable car technology: her goal is clear – to complete her apprenticeship and then sit behind the wheel of a slope machine herself from time to time as part of slope and snowmaking management.

Anna Zeiler – The cable car technician with a passion for lofty heights.

Even as a child, Anna Zeiler was fascinated by cable cars. Today, at the age of 24, she is an important member of the technical team at Bad Kleinkirchheimer Bergbahnen.

After starting off working as a painter, she discovered her passion for cable car technology while working as a lift attendant at Bad Kleinkirchheimer Bergbahnen. Her father and her partner, both of whom also work in the cable car industry, fuelled her enthusiasm early on. These days her favourite tasks include line inspections – maintenance and inspection work at a height of over 20 metres.

“I love working at lofty heights – standing out in the sun on just a support is the best job in the world for me.”

Seilbahntechnikerlehrling im Skigebiet Bad Kleinkirchheim, Seilbahntechnik Kärnten, Lehre mit Aussicht

With creativity, precision and a good dose of ambition, Anna rises to every challenge – even being vertically challenged herself at 1.55 metres. Keeping up with her regular strength training supports her in the physically demanding tasks. The team have nicknamed her “S(ch)mirnof” – a name affectionately given to her by a team colleague when lubricating the roller battery.

In her time off, Anna likes to swap the ropes and buttons for piano keys or relax while downhill skiing. One positive benefit of her job has been that the daily work in the fresh air has turned her from a total hermit into an outdoor sportswoman who savours every minute in nature.

Julia Schweinzer – head of technical operations with intuition and vision.

At the age of 28, Julia is one of only 18 women in Austria who have completed their training as an technical operations manager in recent years and she’s the only woman in this role at Bad Kleinkirchheimer Bergbahnen. With technical expertise, leadership skills and a good instinct when it comes to people and machines, she ensures together with the other technical operation managers that everything runs smoothly every day.

“As an enthusiastic winter sports fan in my home town of Bad Kleinkirchheim, cable car technology has always been part of my life. Today, as one of seven technical operations manager at Bad Kleinkirchheimer Bergbahnen, I’m responsible for ensuring that everything runs smoothly and safely – from technical maintenance and the staff rota to slope grooming.”

After training as a machining technician, Julia initially gained professional experience in the area of production and quality assurance. When she made the decision to move to the cable car industry, she completed the machine operator course and trained as an technical operations manager.

“The technology and the complexity of the systems fascinate me – and the daily responsibility of ensuring everyone’s safety always keeps me motivated. I’m especially proud of my team and the fact that we’ve successfully overcome many challenges together.”

Julia is always looking for innovative solutions at work, but she has a creative side at home, too – her own laser printer has become one outlet for this creativity: “In 2024, I designed Christmas baubles with the company logo for our Christmas tree at work. This is how I bring together technology and creativity in everyday life.”

As an apprentice trainer, she is particularly keen to encourage the next generation of talent and get more women interested in technical professions. “I’d like to see targeted training and more visibility for women in management positions – because the industry offers exciting opportunities that are worth making the most of.”

Female followers wanted.

Whether high up on a support, with a spanner in hand or as an operations manager with responsibility - Julia, Anna and Sarah show just how varied, exciting and fulfilling technical professions in the cable car industry can be and how much potential development there is for the future thanks to technical innovations.

They all have the same message for young women:

„Dare to be different! Have a go! Ask questions about it! And find your place in the world of technology!“

One thing the trio agree on is that encouragement and support from those close to them is very important – as is the belief that you can do anything

“I would be thrilled to have more female colleagues on the team and get the opportunity to support them,” encourages Sarah.

Cable car technology – this is no longer a man’s world.

The industry is changing, and so is the image of the typical cable car operator. More and more women are deliberately choosing this path – and bringing their valuable skills to the table.