Learning through experience, growing through skills: A Viet Nam Youth Network member's story

HA NOI (ILO News) - Dang Le Quynh Chi, 20, used to be hesitant about speaking in public. Today, she hosts sessions, presents ideas and engages with partners and stakeholders with confidence - a skill she says she built through practice, not in a classroom.

"I wanted to better understand what suits me, identify my strengths, and develop relevant skills through practical experience," Chi explains.

That belief shaped her entire education path. Rather than follow many of her peers into university, Chi chose a practice-oriented college programme in marketing and communications in Viet Nam - a decision built on the conviction that she learns best by putting knowledge into action.

A turning point came when she joined the Viet Nam Youth Network for Decent Work and Green, supported by ILO-Korea Partnership Programme. Initially, she joined simply looking for a space to learn and challenge herself. But it gradually became something more: a platform where she found her voice.

As a member of the communications team, Chi creates content, manages social media, and helps organize training sessions and youth-focused activities. Along the way, she has built the kind of employability skills employers consistently look for - strategic planning, teamwork, time management, accountability - not from a textbook, but from meeting real deadlines and real audiences.

"I have realized that skills are not built overnight. They are developed through continuous practice, learning from experience and being willing to step outside your comfort zone and try new things."

© ILO

© ILO

The Network also reshaped how Chi thinks about work itself. While she previously viewed a good job simply as one that provides a stable income, she now sees the concept more holistically.

"Decent work is about more than good salary. It is about having opportunities to learn, grow, be respected and realize your potential. It is also an environment that enables young people to continue developing new skills and building sustainable, long-term careers."

Asked to sum up her journey, Chi chooses two words: Experience and Skills. Not skills from a single course or a single achievement, but skills built step by step, through practice, community engagement and a willingness to seize opportunities.

On World Youth Skills Day, Chi's story is a reminder that skills are not only a pathway to employment for young people but they are also a foundation for discovering their potential and building a future of decent work.