КОМПЕТЕНЕТНІСТЬ ЯК СОЦІАЛЬНО-ПСИХОЛОГІЧНА ПРОБЛЕМА

The article focuses on the problem of competent social workers that correspond to the needs put forward by the modern society. The overall picture of competence is outlined. It is found out that development of professional competence of a social worker is a lengthy process that involves updating the theoretical knowledge, acquiring practical experience, supporting psychological state. The article presents the results of psychological-pedagogical analysis of different approaches of the native and foreign researchers to the definition of essence and structure of the concepts “competency” and “competence”. It is stressed that in modern conditions competitiveness is determined primarily by the presence of creative abilities, relevant specialty, proper education, skill level, possession of related professions, the ability to develop new knowledge, initiative, professional mobility, originality in decision-making, the desire to maintain labor discipline. A necessary condition for the professional development of social workers is their interest in their profession, which stimulates to learn new knowledge, techniques and ways of working. Communicative competence determines the position of the competitive expert. Acquiring communicative competence helps training work. It is concluded that competence is a set of educational orientations, knowledge, abilities, skills and experience of the student for a certain circle of objects of reality, that are necessary for his socio-cultural existence; competence is a general ability and readiness for productive activities, the integrated characteristic of qualities of the personality, the productive unit, which is formed through experience, knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behavioral reactions; educational competence is constituted by such components as needs-motivational, cognitive, operational and activity, practical, reflective; сommunicative competence becomes one of the priority qualities of a modern specialist, since there is a permanent contact with people; competence is one of the main characteristics of a successful self-sufficient person. The prospects for further research are seen in the development of communicative competence training for the future social workers.