THE shutdown of the furnace today at Philips' TV glass factory in Simonstone today marks the beginning of the end of a manufacturing tradition that goes back more than 40 years.

By September more than 400 jobs will have gone at the company, better known as Mullards, primarily as a result of a change in technology.

The factory was involved in the production of glass for cathode ray tubes - the basic component of millions and millions of television sets throughout the last four decades of the 20th century.

More recently the same technology has also been used in manufacturing monitors for computers at home and work.

But the advent of digital technology and flat screens has changed all that and rendered the Simonstone products virtually obsolete.

With almost half of the workforce aged over 50, the chances of workers finding new jobs in the area in which they will be able to use their proven skills are not going to be high.

But the vital challenge for those charged with promoting East Lancashire as THE place for business is to replace these jobs with the technology of today and tomorrow.

With many British Aerospace workers in East Lancashire also facing redundancy, we urgently need to attract and encourage more high quality, high skill jobs.