Transformation of continuing education of engineers under forced development and information-communication technologies usage

The research considers the questions of engineering education transformation in correlation with the current trends in industry and social sphere. Universal implementation of the computer equipment and means of telecommunications causes essential changes in the specified areas of human activity. The tendency of "digitalization" that originally appeared in project works in the development of CAD/CAM/CAE continues to spread to technique and technologies. Dynamics of the development of all the fields of social activity based on such digitalization, demands appropriate training for modern engineers. This engineers' training is primarily associated with continuity of education, its individualization, application of distant and asynchronous forms of education to the educational sphere and business processes. However, specific ways to implement the transformation have not been sufficiently developed. Thus, the creation of new approaches to transformation is the relevant task and is the main concern of the paper. In this regard, the purpose of the paper is to give rationale and to choose the necessary measures directed to the transformation of engineering education. Such decisions are built on the advantages the use of IT technologies gives. As an initial step to support the continuity of education, the implementation of the information environment based on “personal and professional portfolio” of future engineers is offered. By analogy with medical records, such portfolios shall be started young age and be supported throughout human life; a portfolio must include mandatory closed data created by the assigned pedagogical professionals and open data filled by people through some kind of, “Life-long Professional Study”. Such environment shall turn into a system and basis for the choice of the direction for personal and professional formation. It is a multifunctional one: it should be a basis for the assistance to human being continuing development from competent teachers, scientists, experts; it should help to use the cutting-edge methods in choosing specified development; it should assist the enterprises and society to select teams for the implementation of business projects. Individualization of engineers' training shall be based on the project approach connected to contractual research and development activities of the universities for the perspective directions of development of economy. To increase the efficiency of educational process it is offered to consider the training of engineers as business processes with the appropriate approaches and involvement of the trained tutors. The appearance of “The digital university” shall become the result of the creation of a specified continuous and personal digital environment for each student with the opportunities of distant and asynchronous types of training