GSA 2020 Annual Scientific Meeting such as managed care (n = 124) and fnancial exploitation (n = 50), demonstrated a societal shift in older adult sup- ports and services. These results offer an additional effort towards disseminating current best practices and emerging issues to advance translation between research and practice. Researchers can use these results to better align their research agendas with the needs of the Aging Network for evidence- based interventions. BARRIERS TO ENGAGE LOW-SKILLED ADULTS IN EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE Abigail Helsinger, 1 Nytasia Hicks, 1 Meghan Young, 1 Oksana Dikhtyar, 1 Phyllis Cummins, 1 and Taka Yamashita, 2 1. Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, United States, 2. University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, United States The demand for adult education and training (AET) opportunities is substantial as older adults are remaining in the labor force at older ages, and are facing substantial technological changes in the workplace. Strategies to engage middle-aged and older adult workers in AET often exclude low-skilled and sub-populations. The engagement of these sub-populations in AET is challenging as access, awareness, and program costs associated with AET opportunities often target highly skilled populations. The inequality in AET par- ticipation warrants specifc programs and strategies to ad- dress challenges low-skilled adult workers face in pursuing AET. The purpose of this study is to identify AET oppor- tunities for low-skilled middle-aged and older adults, as well as highlight major barriers to engage and retain these sub-population in AET. Data were collected from 36 key in- formants through semi-structured interviews and through document reviews. Key informants represented Australia, Canada, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, the U.K., and the U.S. Descriptive methods were used to identify barriers in recruiting and retaining low-skilled middle-aged and older adults. We particularly focused on the barriers related to cost, language, access, and awareness. Results highlighted opportunities tailored to support adult workers in the pur- suit of adult learning opportunities both domestically and internationally. Barriers including learning histories, lack of long-term person-centered support, as well as the role of mul- tiple forms of learning, such as formal and informal learning, were identifed. Last, we provide recommendations for re- cruiting and retaining middle-aged and older adult workers in AET programs. CREATING AN AGE-FRIENDLY WORKPLACE FOR OLDER WORKERS AND EMPLOYERS Lisa Hollis-Sawyer, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, Illinois, United States Despite the clear aging trends in the U.S. and global popu- lation (e.g., World Health Organization, 2015), there has been a lack of “age audit” tools to evaluate the age-friendliness of workplace environments to facilitate older adults’ positive mental/cognitive health, physical health, social/interpersonal health, and general aging adaptation. The present study did a review of the literature and audit tools across several discip- lines (psychology, gerontology, kinesiology, anthropometry, audiology, vision science, human resources management, architecture, and social factors engineering) regarding the assessment and design issues underlying “age-friendliness” in the workplace. Further, the present research pilot-tested a new audit tool in two organizations (educational, industrial). The researcher, in coordination with two independent raters, conducted a content analysis of the different peer-reviewed articles and books across several disciplines and available age audit tools/approaches to identify: (1) current practices in age-friendliness assessments (e.g., “user-friendliness” of audit tools for practitioners), (2) potential biases/limitations in age assessments (e.g., “decline/decrement” aging perspective), and (3) “gaps” in evaluations to create a more holistic evalu- ation approaches. The following conclusions were made: (1) most assessments focused on one factor of functioning (e.g., psychomotor capability), (2) existing tools are limited in op- tions and functionality for daily assessments, (3) most focus on decline and limitations in functioning, and (4) need to de- sign multi-sensory, multi-function assessments refecting an integrated and coordinated system of sensory, psychomotor, social, and cognitive performance. A holistic model of the outcomes for workplace design “ft” interventions to create more aging-friendly workplaces based upon pilot test results will be presented. DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF AGE- FRIENDLY EMPLOYMENT MEASUREMENT Mi Sun Choi, 1 Holly Dabelko-Schoeny, 1 Katie White, 2 and Marisa Sheldon, 2 1. The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States, 2. Age Friendly Columbus, Columbus, Ohio, United States Scholars have paid attention to the concept of age- friendly to address aging workforce issues. Although prior research has been conducted to conceptualize age-friendly work environments by investigating older workers’ perspec- tives, little is known about the practices and conditions that promote organizations to employ older employees longer and theory driving measurement of age-friendly employment (AFE). To address these knowledge gaps, we developed the AFE measurement tool based on the existing measures, focus group data, two-round Delphi study and a pilot test. We collected primary data from human resource professionals working in a large city in the midwestern state and evaluated the reliability and validity of the AFE measurement using ex- ploratory factor analysis and confrmatory factor analysis. Results supported the hypothesized fve-factor structure. We obtained 16 indicators of AFE: 1) accommodation: fewer physical work demands, reduced work hours, mobility and transportation support; 2) development: career advice, a training needs assessment, and training opportunities to em- ployees all ages; 3) maintenance: fnancial and medical bene- fts for full-time workers of all ages, and wellness programs benefts for full-time and part-time workers; 4) utilization: move into a different position, involvement in decision making, knowledge or skills transfer). Accommodation, maintenance, and inclusion factors were predicted by organ- izational size. A major strength of this study was that the AFE measurement was constructed using a lifespan theory (Selection Optimization Compensation model). The fndings of the current study enable employers to self-monitor their ability to employ and retain older employees, especially for small organizations with less than 20 employees. 64 Innovation in Aging, 2020, Vol. 4, No. S1 Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/innovateage/article/4/Supplement_1/64/6035968 by guest on 18 August 2022