Submitted Abstract
Employability among young people has been identified as a main challenge in the European Union and in Luxembourg. Consequently, it is in the top 3 national objectives of the growth strategy for Luxembourg. According to recent studies, however, the workforce in Luxembourg is not ready to make the transition to a smart economy. This is particularly true for young university graduates, who often struggle during their transition into employment. To date, little is known concerning the interplay between employability and sociolinguistic repertoire (i.e., the way of using languages). Elucidating this interplay will be particularly relevant to Luxembourg, given its multicultural and multilingual diversity. The current project therefore proposes to investigate the role of sociolinguistic repertoire in shaping young people’s employability in Luxembourg. The project aims to fulfil three research objectives by using a mixed-methods design. First, a theoretical framework will be developed to conceptualize how university graduates` sociolinguistic repertoire is associated with gaining and maintaining employment. Second, qualitative interviews, as well as questionnaires, will be used among university graduates, in order to explore this interaction. Third, employers will be interviewed and surveyed, to determine how they conceive university graduates` employability. This project promises to generate much needed knowledge on how certain elements of employability and sociolinguistic repertoire interact in young people looking to find their place in the rapidly transforming and digitalizing economy of Luxembourg. The results will further serve as a basis for the improvement of youth and labour market policies.