The 20 new jobs at Gestamp South Carolina may not seem like a lot to some, but to us they are a sign of just what can be achieved in Union County when the public and private sectors come together.

Gestamp entered into an agreement in May to hire 20 local residents who successfully completed the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC) program at the Union County Advanced Technology Center. The program, which was open to Union County residents only, was financed with a grant obtained through the State Workforce Investment Board and QuickJobs Carolina. Those who completed the program and then a one-week observational period at the Gestamp facility and other company criteria were hired with a starting salary of $12 an hour.

This was good news for the people hired, their families, Gestamp, the Advanced Technology Center and Union County.

It was good for the new employees who got good jobs with a good salary, benefits and, more importantly, a bright future. It was good news for their families which will see their struggles to make ends meet made easier by the increase in household income.

Gestamp gained itself 20 workers that will help it achieve its goals of, first, meeting the demands of its customer, BMW, for Class A stampings and assemblies for its new X-3 automobile. Second, the new employees are another step toward Gestamp’s goal of building the economic growth of Union County. The only way that can be achieved is through jobs like those created by the success and growth of Gestamp.

The Advanced Technology Center demonstrated that it is enjoying increasing success in carrying out its mission of providing the education and training Union County residents need to successfully compete for the high-tech, knowledge-driven jobs of the 21st century. While the program itself was confined to Union County residents, the value of the MSSC training is not confined to Union County. Those who received MSSC certification can use it anywhere the in the country to apply for and get jobs in high-tech manufacturing.

The collaboration between Gestamp and the Advanced Technology Center is proof of what can be achieved when private business and public education work together for a common goal. We hope there are many such collaborations between the two in the future with equally happy or even happier results.

The benefits to Union County are 20 people — a number of whom were previously unemployed — who now have good-paying jobs that will allow them more opportunity to patronize the local economy. This in turn will boost local businesses which could in turn lead to more badly needed jobs.

Union County also gained dramatic proof that it’s investment in the Advanced Technology Center is paying off. A good education is the key to a better life but an education good enough for the high-tech economy of today and tomorrow requires a special kind of institution of learning and that requires money. The new jobs at Gestamp is proof that the county’s investment — and that of its partners in the effort — has been money well spent that can and will continue to pay dividends into the future.

The county also gained further proof that this is a good place to do business. A strong work ethic, low taxes and a development-minded leadership eager to cooperate with business and industry have been Union County hallmarks for decades. The Gestamp jobs and the process that lead to their creation is yet another example of how our community is always on the lookout for new ways to help business create jobs and grow its economy. This can only make us even more attractive to business and industry.

Union County is blessed to have both Gestamp and the Advanced Technology Center and the partnership they have formed with each other and this community. We hope to see many more such partnerships formed in the years ahead that will help produce a future that is bright, hopeful, prosperous and full of opportunity for everyone.