Modern approaches to public sphere specialist training
Authors:   Lviv Polytechnic National University, Blishchuk Kateryna 
Published: June 2023

Formulation of the problem The system of specialist training, which allows providing public authorities with highly qualified and competent personnel, plays a significant role in the development of the public administration sector. The public service personnel should ensure the effectiveness of activities based on compliance with European democratic principles and standards of social development. Analysis of recent research and publications Though many scientists highlighted theoretical approaches to defining staffing peculiarities in the public sphere, the training of public sphere specialists remains topical and requires constant thorough research due to present challenges and time-stipulated requirements. Separation of previously unsettled parts of the general problem This paper aims to substantiate current approaches to training public sphere specialists. Presenting main material Given the need to increase the efficiency of public administration and develop competencies of public authorities, modern realities set new requirements for the training of public sphere specialists. The specialist training reform in the public sphere should be based on the New Public Management (NPM) concept. This concept declares the possibility of training public servants by applying approaches used in the business environment. The training of specialists, able to effectively perform the functions assigned to them in the public sphere, should ensure not only the acquirement of certain knowledge related to the specifics of future activities but also their development of personal skills. These meta-competencies can be considered more relevant for managers in the context of ensuring their professionalism. They are also regarded by scientists as the main impetus for the career promotion of public sector workers in the future. A set of educational programs for cooperation between Ukraine and the European Union within the framework of projects of European educational initiatives, which allow to effectively implement internationalization policies through student mobility, promote the development of educational initiatives by rendering grants for student mobility and infrastructure support, being based on the principles of partnership among scientific institutions, higher establishments, the public, business and the state. To harmonize education with the requirements of the modern world, educational institutions need to take the following steps: focusing on real staffing needs and requests of public authorities at various levels; annual modernization of educational programs in the field of public administration; participation of academic staff in European programs, projects, internships aimed at enhancing the quality of the educational process; close cooperation with leading experts in the field of public administration. For Ukraine, the most acceptable is the option of the optimal combination of approaches of the American and European models, according to which specialists for the public sphere should be trained with an emphasis on the development of their managerial qualities and professional knowledge of jurisprudence. At the same time, it is necessary to reveal the personal skills of future specialists, which will help to unleash their potential. Conclusions The transformations observed today in Ukrainian society require radical changes towards the formation of new approaches to staff training as well as the unification of approaches in the provision of educational services to public sector spe- cialists. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account the foreign experience of implementing new public management, which will enable future specialists not only to join the international labor market but also to effectively implement the principles of sustainable democratic development in the Ukrainian state.