When people say Travis Jassman’s got skills, they are not kidding.
The Grade 12 Senator Gershaw student took home a silver medal at the fifth annual Southeast Alberta Regional Skills Canada Competition held April 29th in Medicine Hat.
Jassman’s particular skill is carpentry.
He said  a good knowledge of tools, both power tools and hand tools, is a necessary component for each contestant to bring with him or her into the competition. You also need to be a creative thinker, able to be innovative so you can solve whatever challenges come up during a project.
Competitors don’t get to see the blueprint of whatever they are going to make until the beginning of the competition. This year’s project was a full-sized park bench, and one of the benefits of the contest is you get to bring the finished product home with you. However that is not the only benefit. Jassman also won a box full of tools along with his silver medal, a prize he really appreciated.
He also got the opportunity to compete at the provincial level and will be doing so on Tuesday and Wednesday.
At provincials, the project is more complex and so the competitors get two days to build it. Another difference is they aren’t allowed to ask for further explanation from an instructor if they don’t understand part of the blueprint.
The projects will be judged Wednesday after which prizes will be awarded.
Jassman, who has been a big contributor helping create the sets for Gershaw’s Grade 11 play over the last few years, will be pursuing his love of carpentry after graduating in June, taking on an apprentice position in Lethbridge.