Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8 calls for inclusive, sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all, especially youth and women. Yet, by 2023, global youth unemployment stood at 13%, or 64.9 million young people, with more than 20% not in employment, education, or training (ILO, 2024; WEF, 2024). In Africa, where the median age is 25 and the youth
population is projected to reach 1 billion by 2063, 10–12 million youth join the labor market annually to compete for just 3 million jobs (AfDB, 2023). Many youth, particularly young women, face job insecurity, underpayment, and exclusion from formal systems (ILO, 2023).
The creative industry presents a high potential pathwayfor decent work and youth empowerment. Globally, the sector contributed 3.1% to GDP and 6.2% to employment in 2020, with market value rising from US$208 billion to US$509 billion between 2015 and 2022 (UNESCO, 2022; UNCTAD, 2024). Yet in Africa, the sector remains highly informal, underfunded, and vulnerable to shocks like COVID-19, which caused a $750 billion global loss in creative industry earnings (UNESCO, 2022). In Kenya, 84%
of creative businesses are informal, 64% lack access to finance, and only 3% receive government support (FSD, 2021), reflecting systemic barriers to decent work.
This study was therefore undertaken to address the gaps in literature by assessing the effectiveness of a
multifaceted approach under the CO-CARE Program. The main objective is to empower youth (18–35 years) in the creative sector to harness their potential and earn a decent and sustainable income, thereby reducing the unemployment menace among youths in Kenya.