With the increasing emphasis on inclusive workforce development towards a Society 5.0, the need for an integrated approach to hard skills training, digital literacy, and entrepreneurial pathways for rural youth in developing countries has been highlighted. Despite policy interventions, these youth remain marginalised from traditional industries and emerging digital economies, largely due to sectoral skill gaps and a lack of structured training frameworks. This study employs a Systematic Quantitative Literature Review (SQLR) to assess the evolution, key trends, and thematic gaps in youth skills development research within rural contexts. A bibliometric analysis was conducted, incorporating 2,083 peer-reviewed studies filtered through the SPAR-4-SLR framework to ensure systematic evaluation. Findings reveal a shift towards interdisciplinary and digital competency research. Keyword co-occurrence and co-citation analyses highlight five dominant thematic clusters: education and workforce readiness, digital transformation and entrepreneurship, rural healthcare systems, social determinants of employability, and sustainability-oriented training. Despite progress, fragmentation in skill-building initiatives, limited integration of digital and industrial skills, and a low citation impact of recent research indicate the need for localised, cross-sectoral training solutions. This study proposes a review of centres as multi-disciplinary hubs that can integrate hard skills training, entrepreneurial incubation, green talent and digital literacy education to bridge the urban-rural employment divide. Future studies could explore implementation strategies for such centres and evaluate their impact on long-term economic sustainability in rural economies, with attention on how integrated models can address psychosocial readiness, promote human–AI collaboration, and strengthen inclusive ecosystems.