About Us

Youth Aspire Connect was founded in 2017 by Dr Franklin Onukwugha who relocated to Kingston Upon Hull from London in 2015 to pursue his PhD in Social Policy at the University of Hull. Franklin was dissatisfied with the low educational attainment and the high number of young people who are not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) in Hull and East Yorkshire. He set up the charity as a vehicle to tackle these challenges by supporting young people to achieve their aspirations, develop their employability/life skills, provide career mentorship, and empower them to become leaders and engage in social actions to address barriers that limit their career prospects while connecting them to life-changing opportunities to achieve their full potential. Franklin believes that we see further by standing on the shoulders of giants. He presents himself as one of the giants that any young person can stand on to see further and get further in life. Under his visionary leadership, YAC has become a trusted grassroots organisation in Hull and East Yorkshire and has grown from supporting 5 young people in 2017 to over 300 registered young people in 2024.