The Concept of Knowledge Carrier’s Competence in the System of Continuing Education

The subject of the research is the pedagogic category of competency. The objective is to prove the thesis that competency is the objective and result of education in the context of the modern educational system. This category is considered a component of structural unity: literacy—education (in terms of degree of education)—competency—culture—mentality. The authors consider that under the conditions of the continuing education system—from primary school to higher education institute—the issues of goal-setting should be stated in regard to solidarity in tasks and shared objective setting—development of a competent knowledge-carrier and competence of personality as an expected outcome. The paper deals with correlation of the “competence” and “competency” notions; understanding of person’s “competence” as an acmeologic category and the potential of intellectual and professional development of personality, the characteristics of which are “competences”, which should be formed in the process of education are established. Given this, “competences” act as integrated characteristics of education quality and graduates’ training, and the categories “competence”—”competency” are a unity reflecting relation of “the potential general” and “the potential particular.” The modern qualitative result of education is a pre-singled out set of specific competences reflected in the competence-based model of education and the graduate’s model, which correspond to social order. The advantage of the competence-based approach in comparison with others is that its use makes it possible to socialize a person in the context of constant instability and development of the society.