The formation professional competencies of the future programmers by means of non-formal education

Abstract

Modern training of IT specialists requires the formation of certain professional competencies, which are identified and listed in the approved standards of higher education for specialties of the field 12 Information technologies for the first (bachelor) level of higher education, namely: the ability to identify, classify and formulate software requirements; the ability to participate in software design, including modeling (formal description) of its structure, patterns and functioning processes (121); the ability to formulate and ensure software  quality  requirements  in  accordance  with  customer  needs, specifications and standards (121); the ability to design and develop software using  various programming paradigms: generalized, object-oriented, functional, logical, with appropriate models, calculation methods and algorithms, data structures and control  mechanisms  (122);  the  ability  to apply methods and means of ensuring  information  security,  to  develop  and operate  special  software for the protection of information resources of critical information infrastructure objects (122); the ability to implement phases and iterations of the life cycle of software systems and information technologies based on appropriate models and software development approaches (121, 122). In addition to the formulated list of hard skills, IT companies pay special attention to the development and formation of the soft skills during employment: the ability to work in a team, including taking personal responsibility for its success (failure); the ability to clearly and understandably express and prove one's own opinion (in a foreign language as well); the ability to present the results of one's own work, etc. The problem of formation and development of the professional  competence  of future programmers by means of informal education is relevant due to the expansion and improvement of the opportunities of the educational and professional program under which they study. The article specifies the concept of "informal education"; its main types are defined (paraformal education, informal education, public education, self-education, education for self-development and informal professional training programs). Based on the analysis of scientific and pedagogical research, regulatory documents, professional training experience, the key professional competences of future programmers are highlighted. Online resources that provide an opportunity to develop and shape the soft and hard skills of future programmers are described (Prometheus, codecademy, Mate academy, EdEra, Wildau- it-bridge.de, Coursera, etc.). Spreading the use of non-formal education in the process of training future programmers is beneficial for the following reasons: expansion and improvement of skills acquired during training in an educational and professional program according to preferences; solving leisure problems; the ability to respond flexibly and quickly to the needs of the labor market and services; motivation of the participants of the educational process for continuous self-improvement, their personal interest; development of additional skills, in addition to professional ones; optimal combination of freedom and responsibility; promoting the concept of lifelong learning.