After graduating high school, Nikki went straight into a Bachelor of Science degree, later working as a Project Manager. After realizing she wasn’t going to pursue the path to becoming the “first doctor” Cross Lake First Nation in Manitoba. Nikki decided to try something new and alongside her brother, joined a program to get certified as an electrician. Nikki studied at the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology to become an electrician. She progressed quickly to become an apprentice electrician at NRG Management and became a certified fiber optic technician. As an apprentice, her days were full of new experiences, and she enjoyed troubleshooting, installations, and working with her hands. She mainly worked with large transformers, pipes, and lots of wire. Nikki has gained specific skills in installing solar panels as a certified fiber optic technician which took her outside her community to work on buildings in the capital city of Winnipeg. Mentorship played an important role along Nikki’s career path, and has learned a lot from other professionals in trades. See below a quote from Nikki on her experiences with one of her mentors. “I have this certified female electrician who really took me under her wing when I first became an electrician. And when I needed some advice on what to do in some really sticky situations I got into while working as an electrician, went to her and she was pretty great at giving me advice on how to move forward from these challenges that I faced.” – Nikki Muswaggon. From 2018-2019 Nikki worked as a Youth Build Program Assistant and was responsible for supporting the Youth Build program and being the initial contact for students and the public regarding program information, resources, and services. Nikki began to work with Keewatin Tribal Council in August 2019 as a Program Coordinator. She worked within the Winnipeg Region, facilitating the placement and ongoing development of youth interns for MFNS-YI and acting as the resource person for First Nations SchoolNet for the Region. Last June, Nikki completed her two-year apprenticeship and returned to Keewatin Tribal Council to work as a Program Manager where she also plans to help teach her community how to install solar panels for indigenous farming. This June, Nikki will be sitting on a virtual panel representing the electrical side of things to celebrate Women in Trades Day w/ Colleges & Institute Canada (CICAN) & Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (CAF). Nikki is from Cross Lake First Nation, a Cree community located about 520 km north of Winnipeg along the Nelson River with a population of 6,000. She completed the Electrical Applications program at the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology- a 1 year course that teaches electrical health and safety, assembly and analysis of circuits. This was a male-dominated course with only four female students in a class of 45, which created extra pressure and some barriers entering the trade. Nikki has spoken about her educational and work experiences to inspire other women to join the sector! Nikki is one of Efficiency Canada’s Energy Trailblazers and shares her insights and advice to those in the sector and inspire change. Nikki will be presenting her A Day in the Life campaign this September for Truth & Reconciliation Day. Nikki gained many skills during her apprenticeship with NRG Management, including Power Tools, Pipe Electrical Work, Lighting Control Insulation, Electrical Conduits, troubleshooting, Policies & Procedures Electrical Wiring Service, Working at Height, and Electrical Controls.