METAMORPHOSES OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES: PHILOSOPHICAL DISCOURSE OF HARD AND SOFT SKILLS INTEGRATION

Relevance of the study.The transformation of professional competencies has become a critical focus in modern educational discourse, particularly regarding integrating hard and soft skills.This shift is driven by the increasing role of artificial intelligence in replacing technical skills while elevating the importance of uniquely human capabilities.Recent studies indicate that organisations consider this integration crucial for success in the digital era, with a significant increase in demand for hybrid training programs.The rapid advancement of digital technologies has created an urgent need to redefine traditional skill categorizations and develop new frameworks for professional development.The study aims to reflect on professional competencies transformation by analysing the metamorphosis of hard and soft skills interaction in the digital era.The research addresses three key objectives: conceptualising the competencies metamorphosis phenomenon, developing and empirically verifying an integration model, and investigating artificial intelligence's impact on soft skills' role.The study specifically focuses on identifying patterns of skill evolution across different professional domains.Research methods.The study employs a comprehensive methodology combining classical philosophical and modern approaches, including the dialectical method for analysing technocratichumanistic contradictions, the phenomenological approach for studying skill integration experience, and systems analysis for modelling new-type competencies.The research involved qualitative interviews with industry experts, quantitative surveys of professionals, and longitudinal observation of skill development patterns over an 18-month period.Research results.The study revealed three fundamental metamorphoses in competencies' nature: hybridisation, the emergence of new professional mastery forms, and increased contextual adaptability.The experimental group showed higher adaptability to new professional contexts, with participants developing hybrid competencies.Quantitative analysis revealed a 45% improvement in problem-solving efficiency among professionals who developed integrated skill sets.The research established a philosophical model encompassing epistemological, ontological, and axiological levels of competencies transformation.The study identified key factors facilitating successful skill integration and provided practical guidelines for educational institutions in designing future-oriented professional development programs.