PRACTICE-ORIENTED ENGINEERING EDUCATION AS THE MAIN FACTOR OF FORMING COMPETENCES OF THE FUTURE PROFESSIONALS

The hypothesis that engineering graduates currently lack sufficient professional and universal competencies, considering Kazakhstan's stage of economic development, was supported by the results of an online survey conducted with business representatives. An online survey was conducted with employers who had hired graduates from technical universities in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Participants included 374 enterprise managers. The reliability of the study was validated with a Cronbach's Alpha coefficient of 0.87, well above the 0.7 threshold. A majority of the study's findings indicate satisfactory evaluations of the trained professionals. The formation level of professional competencies among university graduates during their initial year of employment is quantitatively assessed. In the sector of "Electricity, Gas, and Hot Water Supply," the average score stands at 4.38 points, while in "Mining - Extraction of Metal Ores and Non-Ferrous Metals," it is 3.93 points. In "Construction," the score is 3.8 points, and in the “Manufacturing - Metallurgical Industry," it is 3.68 points. Key qualitative professional attributes, encompassing fundamental and specialized engineering knowledge indicative of preparedness for practical engineering applications, as well as organizational and managerial skills coupled with decision-making capabilities under conditions of uncertainty and risk, received favorable evaluations from 60% of the surveyed business representatives. The survey findings elucidate that, notwithstanding their engineering focus, employers allocate significant importance not only to the professional qualities and capabilities of specialists but also to their personal and interpersonal attributes. Enterprises operating in the small and medium business sector have distinctly articulated their preference for personnel who are socially adept and communicative, inclined towards continuous learning, and actively engaged in enhancing the firm's performance, rather than solely being technically proficient engineers. The degree of development of universal competencies among university graduates in their first year of professional engagement is quantitatively appraised, averaging 4.42 points in the "Supply of Electricity, Gas, Hot Water supply" sector, 4 points in "Mining - Extraction of Metal Ores and Non-Ferrous Metals," 4.11 points in "Construction," and 3.6 points in "Manufacturing - Metallurgical Industry". In the process of identifying future competencies, it was possible to ascertain the principal priorities of business representatives aimed at enhancing production efficiency. Employing a systemic approach facilitated the compilation of a roster of prospective competencies.