This research will determine the feasibility of developing an instrument that could be used by manufacturers to select older workers (40+) for occupational retraining in emerging programmable automation technologies. This instrument will be a test composed of miniature work sample tasks that can be used either independently, or in conjunction with other standardized aptitude tests to predict older worker training and occupational success. Phase I of this research will investigate the instrument's commercial marketability and its technical merit. Specifically, the Phase I research will a) refine market research issues through a project advisory committee meeting hosted by the Factory Automation Institute of the Community College of Allegheny County (Pittsburgh, Pa.); b) determine industrial need for the instrument through a telephone survey of both small and large manufacturers and a literature review; c) outline the characteristics of the test to be developed and the criteria for retraining and occupational success that can be used to assess the test's effectiveness through an intensive 3 day workshop in Pittsburgh, Pa. In Phase II of the study, the test will be developed and its predictive effectiveness tested. In Phase III, the test will be commercially packaged and marketed.
