Trust means expectation and predictability. Trust in a community means a positive expectation of a certain behaviour and communities that trust each other are cohesive. Deprivation and poverty have more to do with a lack of trust than ethnicity and therefore it can be said by tackling poverty and inequality, communities will become more cohesive. Government should remember this as they put together their community integration and cohesion plans.
Inclusive Growth is already a priority in Greater Manchester. Some of the problems inclusive growth needs to address are around high levels of poverty and social exclusion, and gender and ethnic inequalities in the labour market. Ethnic minority groups in Greater Manchester are less likely to be employed than others with a 20 percentage point gap between ethnic minority women and other women. This is particularly surprising as ethnic minority women in particular do better than average academically but then fail to get a foothold in the labour market. In addition international evidence consistently shows that the workplace is the best site for integration between communities. This points to a shared agenda between inclusive growth and community cohesion. By encouraging ethnic minority women to become economically and socially mobile, we encourage community integration. We also increase the economic contribution they make to Greater Manchester and as they upskill, the GM economy gains in productivity. Savannah Wisdom is looking to change the narrative to a win-win opportunity for the local economy and our communities. Our studies are examining the causes of the labour market disparity and examining possible solutions to bridge the inequality. This localised labour disadvantage suggests a need for a targeted approach to policy making which will have the intended consequence of more cohesive, and better integrated communities.