The rural economy holds significant potential for creating decent and productive jobs and contributing to sustainable development and economic growth. It accounts for a significant share of employment and output in many developing countries but is widely characterized by severe decent work deficits and poverty, hosting nearly 80 per cent of the world's poor. Youth are particularly affected by this. In particular, the majority of African youth live in rural areas, and their number is expected to increase for decades to come. They face particular challenges in accessing productive employment due to multiple constraints, both on the supply side (e.g. lack of skills) and the demand side (e.g. insufficient jobs and economic opportunities). This course aims to address these issues by providing an in-depth understanding of the context of rural employment in developing countries, outlining the particular challenges faced by rural youth, and young women in particular. It will explore the various policy elements and intervention approaches that are needed to support rural youths. These include economic and sectoral policies for job creation, value chain development approaches, as well as skills development interventions needed to enable young people to successfully enter productive employment.