MY JOURNEY: ADMIR “OTTO” IBRADZIC

Former engineering student finds rewarding career in the trades

By / Tara Thoman-Gettman

Admir “Otto” Ibradzic is a fourth-year sheet metal worker apprentice with Local 263 at Waldinger Corp. in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Ibradzic’s parents emigrated from Bosnia to Germany, where Otto was born, before settling the family in Waterloo, Iowa, when he was two years old. After graduating from high school, he moved to North Liberty, where he lives with his wife.

“I attended college at the University of Iowa for engineering, where I did some internships for engineering positions,” he says. “I realized during those internships that I was more of a hands-on kind of guy and didn’t like the office much, so I decided to pivot and join the trades.”

Ibradzic knew he wanted something well-rounded across multiple trades and chose HVAC. “While my job title is technically sheet metal worker, I deal with mostly commercial HVAC. This mainly includes ductwork and setting the equipment,” he says.

Ibradzic is pleased to enjoy good wages and health and retirement benefits while he completes his training over the next five years.

“I had zero construction experience when I joined the trade,” he says. Each year his training will focus on another aspect or area of the trade. So far, he’s learned how to form ductwork, how HVAC systems function, and how the systems work together.

“You learn about the industrial aspect of the trade, as well, where we are taught how to weld on food-grade materials,” Ibradzic says. “We do a lot of maintenance at the different plants around the Cedar Rapids area, like General Mills, Quaker, and Ingredion.”

His skills are already helping him stand out in the sheet metal industry, thanks to an annual contest where competitiors are graded on class-based knowledge and workpersonship. “I actually competed regionally last year down in Kansas City at the Local 2 JATC where I placed first for HVAC in the region,” he says.

On-the-job training is the key to truly learning the trade, Ibradzic says. “I can’t speak for all companies, but at our company, you are paired with a journeyperson who shows you the ropes,” he says. “They teach you everything you’ll learn in school and more.”

From learning proper tool use to how to adapt to different jobsite conditions, Ibradzic appreciates how interacting with other trades has taught him how to work together toward a common goal. ▪

This article originally appeared in The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.