A woman faces her husband

A woman faces her husband

While other children spent their summer holidays on the farm or in the swimming pool, Sonja Liebl preferred to spend time with her grandfather in his car workshop. The Jaro Maruna & Gloria Lorenz GmbH on Wiener Landstrasse was, so to speak, their private playground. Here she practiced using a screwdriver and open-end wrench, looked under the metal hoods of cars and learned how their mechanics, electrics and electronics can be kept in good condition or, in the event of a defect, how they can be put back in order.

So it was only logical for 14-year-old Sonja to switch to the Vienna HTL after primary school and study mechanical engineering. There, however, their enthusiasm was severely dampened. “A subject teacher told me bluntly that a woman had no place in his course,” says Liebl. The man sat on the longer branch and prevented her from being promoted to the next class despite good performances. But Sonja didn't want to give up. After consulting with the HTL department head, she switched from day school to evening school and thus to other teachers. “I was the only girl there, but I was the youngest child for the mostly older students,” she smiles. Her classmates supported her and helped her wherever they could. Conclusion: Sonja graduated and at the same time gained a lot of experience as an automotive technician because she worked in her grandfather's workshop during the day. 
 

Equipped with a high school diploma and a wealth of practical experience, Liebl immediately took the master's examination - and passed straight away. After a three-year maternity leave, the mother of two sons was accepted by the Vienna municipal department MA46 as an expert for §57a matters. “I was also an official expert for aviation matters and responsible for Section 24a regulations for tachographs,” she says. After nine years in office, she was lured back into the private sector. As a result, she was hired by several workshops as a “picker tester” and also specialized in technical teaching methods. To this day, she gives lectures on §57a and professional driver training at Wifi Lower Austria, and she has recently been working at the Automotive Academy as a lecturer on technical and legal matters for §57a-authorized workshops. “Through my practice in a wide variety of workshops, I know all the regulations for motorcycles, cars, small trucks and trailers,” says Liebl at the meeting. When asked in which area her students have the biggest knowledge gaps, she answers: "The technical aspect is less of a problem than the legal aspect. Many companies don't know what obligations they have towards the authorities." As an example, she cites the obligation to report changes in the authorization of the pickerl auditors. But digitalization, which includes dealing with assessment programs, for example, also poses a challenge for some mechanics. 
 

Sonja Liebl has made her way, has long been recognized by her male colleagues and is valued as an expert. “Unfortunately, it is still difficult for young women to gain a foothold in car repair shops today,” she says. Most workshops still prefer men for automotive engineering, also because of the sanitary facilities in the company, which often have to be created for female staff. “As a girl, you have to know what you want and not let it get you down,” she advises her peers. “It helps to be up to date with the latest technology because you will definitely be put through your paces by colleagues and superiors.” Only if you don't expose yourself professionally will you be taken seriously and be able to survive as an automotive technician in what is still a male-dominated profession.