Beaming with smiles, Mr Emmanuel Anyimadu, Clerk to Parliament on Friday said he was very happy that training at the Parliamentary Training Institute (PTI) has successfully taken off and the maiden course successfully completed.

The maiden course by the Institute since its inauguration last year, took place last week at the Job 600 Building of the Parliament House, in Accra.

For three days, 30 participants drawn from 13 different institutions, including Parliament, the Immigration Services, Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Electricity Company of Ghana, underwent a training and capacity building course in Customer Care, at the Institute.

The clerk, in a chat with journalists, after the closing ceremony said: "My happiness today is because training at this institute has successfully taken off. I am happy that the training at this institute, which I consider a legacy has begun under my stewardship."

Mr Anyimadu, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Parliamentary Service, eulogized former Speakers of the House, with particular mention of the immediate past Speaker, Edward Doe Adjaho, for their roles in the establishment of the Institute.

The Clerk also gave thumbs-up to the present Speaker, Prof Michael Aaron Oquaye, for his role in the successful take-off of the training at the Institute.

"I am really proud that this has taken place," the clerk said, with an assurance that there would be regular programmes at the Institute for Members of Parliament in Ghana and other countries.

Officials and staff of Parliament, Government officials, political parties, Officials of State, the public, as well as private institutions can also access courses offered at the Institute.

Mr Anyimadu said arrangements are being put in place to improve on translation and interpretation facilities for the institute to go beyond the Parliament of Ghana so that other parliaments in the West African sub-region that speak other major international languages can take part.

"It’s my expectation that there will be activity here every week," the clerk said.

He charged the participants to let what they have learned reflect in their work when they return to their offices.

"Implement the change that you have learned," the clerk exhorted, and urged the participants to distinguish themselves in the discharge of their duties.

Nana Kwesi Agyekum Dwamena, the Head of the Civil Service in Ghana, advised participants to deliver excellent customer care and to be excellent ambassadors of their organisations wherever they found themselves.

"Customer care is about caring for customers beyond the service we give," he reminded the participants," adding that, " the treatment and care you give your customers and clients will attract their confidence to make the necessary input into the Government’s development agenda."

Mrs Gloria Sarku Kumawu, Head of the PTI, said the course highlighted the importance of Service Standards and Customer Experience and built on existing knowledge of Customer Service and Customer Care.

"It also helped the trainees appreciate and think in a 'customer-centric way', she said, adding that, it also laid the foundation for the trainees to align behaviours to their organisations’ expectations of its staff, in relation to Customer Care Service and develop understanding of Customer Care and the associated needs.

Mr Nestle Agbetsivi, a participant from the Transport Department of Parliamentary Service, said he was thankful for the course, adding that, the course would help overcome some unfriendly and customer discouraging practices in some organisations, and called for more or such progrmmes to be organised.