Genovations Accounting Partners with Institute for GOD’s ProDev Program for 2024-2025 Academic Year
The Institute for GOD is excited to announce the launch of its Professional Development (ProDev) Program partnerships for the 2024-2025 academic year. Now in its second formal year, ProDev connects students' biblical education with real-world work experience, enabling them to graduate debt-free and confident in their career paths. President Gregg Garner, a theologian and entrepreneur, has been developing this program iteratively since 2011. Together with The Institute staff, he is committed to breaking the stereotype that Bible college graduates struggle to find employment.
Aligned with the college’s mission to produce "spiritually mature, competent professionals for global impact," The Institute combines rigorous Scriptural study with practical work experience and extensive global internships for every on-campus student. Since 2011, this unique combination has resulted in a 100% job placement rate for graduates—14% higher than the national average.
How Does It Work?
Traditional on-campus students enrolled in The Institute’s undergraduate program are invited to participate in the ProDev program. Here’s how it works:
Preference-Based Placement: Students undergo a personalized matching assessment that seeks to align individual career goals with available experiences with Christian businesses and nonprofits committed to investing in the next generation of professionals in Nashville
Scholarship Support: ProDev Partners contribute to a scholarship fund that significantly reduces the cost of students’ biblical education, helping students to graduate debt-free while gaining professional experience in their field of interest.
Real-World Experience: Students commit to 15-25 hours a week of professional experience in fields as diverse as medicine, education, hospitality, construction, social services, and the arts.
Flexible Learning Opportunities: Students may switch ProDev placements each semester to explore different career paths or to stay in one role to build a specialized skill set toward a specific career goal.
Career-Ready Graduates: By the end of their undergraduate education, students will have earned a bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies or Community Development, complemented by a resume rich with workplace experience, additional microcredentials, and a wealth of soft skills developed through mentorship and practical engagement.
ProDev is more than a scholarship program, it’s an opportunity for incredible personal growth. President Garner explains: “Students participating in the ProDev program will have the chance to determine if what they imagine they want to do is truly grounded in reality. In this way, students don’t find themselves realizing after earning their degree that it’s not what they want to pursue. Instead, they gain that insight before even completing their general education. This saves families money, it saves students time, and it significantly enhances their experience. Once a student identifies their passion, they become more eager to learn about it. By the time they reach their upper-division courses, they’ve already filtered out what they realized they didn’t want to pursue. Now, they’re driven to learn. When you combine someone driven to learn with opportunities for practical application, explosive growth follows. That’s what the Professional Development program offers.”
2024-2025 Partnerships
In the fall of 2024, The Institute is thrilled to provide professional opportunities to its students working in the following areas, alongside the college’s departments of assessment, admissions, A/V tech, and marketing:
CASE After School Program
Hopewell Family Care Integrative Clinic
NOVA Birth Services
Nyumba Food Services (Califarmia Food Truck)
Nyumbarista (Coffee Shop)
GOD Int’l Facilities & Maintenance
The Arts at Center Street (Music and Theatre)
Center Street Dance Academy
Genovations HR
Genovations Accounting
Genovations Media
Church Community for GOD
MCH Nashville (Plumbing, Electrical, HVAC, Utilities, Geothermal and Solar)
Nashville Futbol Club
Academy for GOD (Preschool-12th Grade)
This fall, we’re excited to see accounting students at The Institute for GOD step into internships with Genovations Accounting, aiming for careers as CPAs. With the demand for skilled accounting professionals continuing to grow, opportunities in Nashville have expanded in various sectors, from nonprofit organizations to healthcare services, small businesses, and educational institutions.
Nashville’s accounting job market is highly competitive, with many positions filled through networking. Approximately 70-80% of accounting roles, especially those on the CPA path, are not publicly advertised but are secured through professional connections and referrals. Through the ProDev program, Genovations Accounting and The Institute for GOD are bridging this gap, connecting students directly with professionals in the field.
