The research presents generalized theoretical characteristics of the use of business simulations as a means of formation of economic competence of technical specialties students. Theoretical analysis of the scientific sources regarding the problems of formation and development of economic competences of the personality leads to the conclusion about the main directions of this research: life-long (starting from pre-school); multiagency (family, educational institution); multilevel (family, organization, country and the world); model of economic behavior formation. The essence of the “economic competence of the future technical specialty professionals” was clarified as the ability to conduct professional activity in the area of technics and technologies and also private activities consciously and efficiently, based on the grounded economic knowledge,abilities, skills, attitudes, opinions, personal qualities and experience. Motivational, cognitive, operational and personalcomponents were defined as the main components of the economic competences of the future technical specialty professionals. The international experience of the use of business simulations in education has been analyzed and the main areas of its implementations have been defined as the following: MBA programs, higher education institutions, scientific research, competitions, economic concepts, phenomena and objects visualization, marketing usage by the educational institutions. The experience of the Ukrainian business simulations developers in attracting pupils to the competitions with the use of business simulations has been examined.The classification of the business simulations in education was introduced by the author based on the next characteristics: the scale of the phenomenon or the concept that is being imitated (conceptual, thematic); the purpose of usage (educational, scientific); the type of the hosting in the network (local, server-based, cloud-based); the possibility of modification or editing (static; with dynamic parameters, with dynamic content); the presence of the built-in tools for business simulations creation (without built-in tools for business simulations creation, with built-in tools for business simulations creation). The criteria of business simulations selection for formation of economic competence of technical specialties students are defined as the characteristics of the business simulations, that are important in the process of creating conditions for formation of economic competence of technical specialties students. The next criteria and indicators of the business simulations selection were synthesized: design-didactical criterion (coverage of the wide range of the sub-sets of economic science and affiliated areas of knowledge; correspondence of the business simulations to the educational tasks; scale of the phenomenon that is being imitated; presence of communicational functionality; the possibility to combine different imitations and additional functional modules within one playlist; presence of the built-in development tools(user interface correction, functionality correction); modification possibilities (static, parameters modification, content modification)); technological criterion (availability; adaptability; reliability; meaningful middle – or long – term gaming potential; easiness of use); organizational criterion (target audience; prevalence; customer support). The MobLab business simulation was defined as the most suitable to use as a means of formation of economic competence of technical specialties students. Economic Games may be also used as a means of formation of economic competence of technical specialties students in case of some developments implemented. The model of use of business simulations as a means of formation of economic competence of technical specialties students was substantiated and developed. The model consists of four blocks: targeting, organizational-process, content-technological, diagnostic-results. The general structure of the method of business simulations use as a means of formation of economic competence of technical specialties students was introduced; different forms and methods of the use of business simulations in the process of formation of economic competence of technical specialties students were analyzed. The development of the method of use of business simulations as a means of formation of economic competence of technical specialties students was based on the next factors: different areas and the ways of use, deployment ways and the purpose of business simulations usage. The use of business simulations is expedient and contributes to efficiency increase of educational process, formation of the economic competence of the technical specialties students, and also forms sustainable cognitive interest. Based on the “Principles of economics” course the implementation of the main components of the developed method is reasonable.
