23.10.2025
Wood has a bright future: Pfeifer Uelzen inspires young people to join the industry
The plant at the port of Uelzen is consistently focusing on modernisation and sustainable optimisation in wood processing – measures that also strengthen its role as an attractive employer in the region. Through regular appearances at job and training fairs, Pfeifer specifically targets young people who are looking for career prospects.
On August 1, seven new trainees started their careers at Pfeifer in Uelzen.
Administrative manager Christin Weding is delighted to accompany and support the young trainees on their journey.
The company has traditionally placed great importance on providing solid training for young talent. A total of 13 apprentices are currently learning professions such as office management assistant, industrial mechanic, electronics technician for industrial engineering and woodworking mechanic in Uelzen. Seven young people started their training on 1 August.
‘These young talents are the skilled workers of tomorrow, and we are delighted to accompany and support them on their journey,’ says Head of Administration Christin Weding. In addition to traditional vocational training, Pfeifer also offers school internships and collaborations as part of bachelor's theses.
Successful trade fair appearances
Pfeifer comes into contact with young talent at regional trade fairs and events. At the ‘vocatium Lüneburger Heide’ in June, for example, the team held around 60 pre-booked one-to-one meetings with school pupils. Numerous other young people spontaneously sought information about training opportunities. The result: four internship applications and one application for training as an industrial mechanic in 2026 were submitted directly at the trade fair.
At the end of June 2025, Pfeifer presented itself at the Open R Festival in Uelzen. For three days, trainees and their instructors were on hand to answer visitors' questions. All of the projects on display at the stand were the result of trainee initiatives – from a sturdy pallet counter to creative seating furniture and the interactive ‘hot wire’ game to a nail-hammering block. An impressive demonstration of the young people's craftsmanship, teamwork and expertise.
Pfeifer's intensive efforts to promote young talent are also evident in the annual Girls and Boys Day, which gives schoolchildren the opportunity to get a taste of the world of woodworking.
At the beginning of September, Pfeifer was represented for the third time at the training fair in Verdo-Hitzacker. Around 450 school pupils from the Lüchow-Dannenberg district took the opportunity to find out about career prospects at the company. "There was a lot of interest in what we have to offer. Our trainers and trainees had many exciting conversations and were able to clearly communicate the career opportunities at Pfeifer," reports Weding.
Also in September, Pfeifer took part in the Job Exchange organised by the Employment Agency for the first time. ‘Our goal was to attract interested applicants for both our training positions and skilled worker positions,’ says Weding. The response was positive: CVs and short applications were accepted on site. ‘A big thank you goes to our trainees, who presented themselves excellently and actively supported us, as well as to our trainers, who promoted our professions with great commitment.’
Plant manager Tobias Keller is constantly implementing measures to ensure the competitiveness of the site.
About the Pfeifer Group
Pfeifer Holding GmbH was founded in Austria in 1948 and is now in the hands of the third generation of its owner family. Headquartered in the Austrian town of Imst in Tyrol, it employees 2,600 people at 13 sites in Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic and Finland. Around 5.4 million solid cubic metres of timber is cut every year in the Group’s fully integrated sawmills. This is then processed along the entire value chain into sawn and planed timber, concrete formwork panels, formwork beams, cross laminated timber, glue-laminated timber (glulam), glued solid wood panels, pallet blocks, briquettes, pellets and green electricity.