Creation of an innovative model for technical specialists’ training of basic departments of universities

The process of transition to innovative economy coupled with a broad introduction of new technologies increase the requirements to the outcomes of higher education. This makes the problem of engineering education improvement an urgent one. The article compares several innovative models of technical specialists’ training. The paper defines a conceptual drawback of the existing models that is a growing gap between the education results and the needs of employers. So, the requirements to graduates exceed the level of expertise received by the students. What makes the situation worse is the limited ability of higher institutions to buy state-of-the art equipment and modern technology components for training. This causes a long period of adaptation for the graduates and companies have to provide their house-in courses for the graduates till they acquire the required skills and are able to perform their professional functions effectively. These extra courses lead to additional costs that decrease the possibility for a successful graduate to get a job. The existing problem could be solved by giving potential employers an opportunity of direct influence on the education process by developing undergraduates' necessary skills. This can be achieved by putting educational programs and schedules in accordance with requirements of potential employers. This innovative model of training specialists can be created by integrating the efforts of universities and employers. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of employers’ motivation to encourage them to cooperate with university departments. It is proved that the practical use of this innovative model of technical experts training can significantly improve the education quality.