This article considers one of the key problems of modern education of professional social work, which is the formation of psychological and pedagogical competencies of social workers through professional development courses. The organization of professional development courses should be built on the emphasis of formation of competences. It is important to organize courses in such a way that the necessary competencies become the determining condition for the formation of professionalism of social workers as subjects of practical activities. The formation of psychological and pedagogical competences is connected with the mastering, consolidation, application of special knowledge, skills and abilities. The correct organization of professional development courses stimulates practicing social workers to the active search, conscious overcoming the psychological difficulties that stand in the way of solving the problems of people who find themselves in difficult life situations, and formation of the competences necessary in their professional activities.