In the modern world, economic conditions are rapidly changing. It forces society to respond as quickly as possible. The key to the prosperity of states and the people living in them is the creation and development of an economy based on innovation. New technologies appear due to the accumulated knowledge, skills, abilities - the competencies of the people who create them - human capital. Management of human capital development is directly related to training and education. The article examines how the programs of higher education influence the formation of students’ competencies, how the level of mastery of competencies is assessed. The research proposes mechanics for assessing the level of mastery of competencies. It describes their relationship with assessing the level of qualification of a subject of economic activity.