“Microsoft UK is committed to making a difference in the community and we offer all our employees 3 days a year volunteering leave. We have recently added the Growing Ambitions portal to our intranet using their simple white label option so that our employees can sign up to the database directly. As a company we believe in inspiring the next generation of IT professionals and hope to make a real difference in encouraging more young people to enter the sector through the Growing Ambitions speaking sessions.” Karina Gibson, former Consultant Citizenship Manager, Microsoft UK.

"At Findcourses.co.uk we recently added the Growing Ambitions portal to our site. We want to raise awareness of this worthwhile initiative, while also giving our site audience of professionals and HR departments the opportunity to volunteer their half hour towards the youth of today – inspiring and motivating them towards more informed career choices." Thor Birtley, Managing Director, Findcourses.co.uk

You never stop needing to learn and develop, and the ability to present is a skill that that needs lots of practice so opportunities to speak to a variety of audiences, like students, who can sometimes been your harshest critics, should be snapped up. [When asked by the students why I was volunteering] I pointed out that in the future, I may have to speak to even more important people in a convincing and authoritative manner and therefore I could do with all the practice I could get…practicing the ability to literally think on your feet and give meaningful and thoughtful answers to tricky questions when you have no idea what you are going to be asked is not something you get much opportunity to practice in your day to day work life.  [ ] if you are thinking about doing something like this, then I can truly recommend it." Volunteer Career Speaker - Victoria Hills, WTS London Member, Transport Projects & Performance Manager, Greater London Authority and Chair of the Transport Planning Society.  Victoria spoke at North Bridge House Senior School, Camden, London.

"Through my role in 'Secret Millionaire' I've seen first-hand just how rewarding investing in young people can be. I got into the programme thinking that I would be making a difference through making a financial donation but in the end I found that the volunteering my time and seeing the effect first hand was just as rewarding and meant just as much as giving money. With Growing Ambitions there's something all of us can do now. We can all spare half an hour to talk about our jobs - it can make a huge difference and show young people a different and better way. I'd encourage anyone in a decent job, whatever it is, to get signed up as a volunteer. Let's give our young people dreams and we'll see them help change their communities around." James Belamor, Managing Director, The Richmond Group; participant in 'Secret Millionaire', Channel 4

"Today’s young are not the product of a ‘dumbed-down’ education. On the contrary they are often vital, energetic, creative and confident; but little has prepared them for the commercial world that most of them will enter. Many of their early years in this environment will be spent trying to understand how it works and how they can make their way in it: they may even end up ‘on the scrap-heap’ before they are ‘off the ground’. It is imperative in today’s globally-competitive world that those with the knowledge and the willingness and the enthusiasm do all in their power to impart this expertise and provide this much-needed dimension to the young. This will enable them to take charge of their own future and their own development and not hand it over to those who see them merely as an economic unit in the furtherance of a quite different goal." Ray Piggott LLB CEng FIET former Chairman and CEO Cray Communications