The article is devoted to the consideration of innovative directions for improving the social education of specialists in the social sphere in the context of the implementation of national projects. The education requirements in a networked civilization are analyzed, new cognitive capabilities of the individual are taken into account in the context of network environment in the development of the potential of social education, both in content and in aspects of new organizational forms and technologies. The development of social education is viewed in the historical and cultural context from the early 1990s to the present day, against the background of the improving system of secondary and higher vocational education. The role of social functions of education in the context of international and federal requirements for the integration of people with limited mobility into modern society is revealed. The content of each of the functions of social education is analyzed, taking into account the new innovative directions of reality in institutional forms, the updating regulatory framework, and the experience of innovative activities with people with limited mobility. In a single conceptual plan, the analysis of programs for individual recipients of social services, the professional training of specialists in social work and the assessment of students' activities of the relevance and significance of the main activities within the framework of social education programs are considered. Special attention is paid to inclusive complementary education programs for persons with disabilities. Integration processes in the education of elderly citizens and persons with disabilities, the implementation of andragogical programs for them, their acquisition of higher status, and improvement of their quality of life are considered. Conclusions are drawn about an innovative approach to improving the social education of specialists in the social sphere in a networked society.