THE ROLE OF “SOFT SKILLS” IN THE PROCESS OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES FORMATION OF FUTURE COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY SPECIALISTS

The article deals with the analysis of an optimization possibility of a professional training process of future computer technology specialists by means of the addition of the elements of “soft skills” to an appropriate structure of professional competencies. In particular, the contents of scientific works on the mentioned problems, carried out by foreign and Ukrainian scientists, have been analyzed by the authors.The parameters of creativity, cooperation, critical thinking and communication skills, necessary for the professions of the future, have been analyzed on the basis of materials of the Educational Alliance Program “Partnership for Learning in the XXI Century”.The information represented in analyzed researchers allowed us to transform the mentioned qualities into a professional training context of Bachelors of Computer Technologies as competitive specialists. A detailed characteristic is proposed for each of these qualities.Based on the researches, a transformation algorithm of soft skills to a professional training context of Bachelors of Computer Technologies as competitive specialists is represented. According to the experience of implementation of an educational and professional training program of computer technology specialists, a list of methods and tools for resolving the issue is proposed.It is determined that at a higher education institution, “soft skills” should be formed by means of coaching, training, special educational courses; self-education; voluntary work for gaining professional experience; by the method of reporting or a presentation work; interactive teaching methods (dispute, discussion; “associative bush”, “decision tree”, “brainstorming”, “semantic map”; teamwork to create software products; case method; modelling (the application of traditional computer technologies knowledge in new conditions); business, role play at classes; work in groups, etc.).Besides, it is proposed to organize the process of soft skills formation of future Bachelors of Computer Technologies with the help of student group work. The contents of the study group activities presuppose a combination of competencies, determined by an educational program‚ and competencies, related to the issues of qualification under analysis. Keywords: professional training of specialists in computer technologies; “soft skills”; hard skills of a specialist; professional competencies of future specialists; creativity; critical thinking; communicativeness; cooperation.