The institute shall have the following powers:

(1) To design, implement, and amend a program or programs to provide for the recruitment of, and the promotion of training programs and opportunities for, new craft trade workers for the construction industry and the users of the construction industry.

(2) To educate the public about career opportunities as craft trade workers in the construction industry.

(3) To acquire, receive, and take title to, by purchase, gift, lease, license, devise, or otherwise, to hold, keep, improve, maintain, equip, furnish, develop, and to transfer, convey, donate, sell, lease, license, grant options to, assign, or otherwise dispose of property of every kind and character, real, personal, mixed, tangible and intangible, and any and every interest therein, to any person or entity.

(4) To accept gifts, grants, bequests, or devises of money and tangible and intangible property.

(5) To make and alter bylaws, not inconsistent with the provisions of this division or laws of the State of Alabama, for the administration and regulation of the affairs of the institute.

(6) To make, enter into, and execute contracts, agreements, leases, licenses, or other legal arrangements and to take such steps and actions as may be necessary or convenient in the furtherance of any purpose or the exercise of any power provided or granted to it by this section.

(7) To engage in media advertising, marketing, website creation, website design, website maintenance, database creation, database design, database maintenance, data and information collection, and data and information dissemination and distribution, including the dissemination or distribution of data and information on potential construction workforce recruits, to the construction industry, users of the construction industry, and educational institutions, or other entities, as deemed necessary or appropriate by the institute in its sole discretion.

(8) To conduct surveys, studies, metrics, and other analyses of the construction industry and its potential workforce, and to disseminate or distribute the surveys, studies, metrics, and other analyses of the construction industry and its potential workforce to the construction industry, users of the construction industry, and educational institutions, or other entities, as deemed necessary or appropriate by the institute in its sole discretion.

(9) To incur ancillary costs, project costs, advertising costs, and recruitment costs and to pay these costs out of proceeds of the Recruitment and Training Promotion Fund.

(10) To make application directly or indirectly to any federal, state, county, or municipal government or agency or to any other source, public or private, for grants or other similar financial assistance in furtherance of the institute's purpose and to accept and use the same upon the terms and conditions as are prescribed by the federal, state, county, or municipal government or agency or other source.

(11) To employ and provide for the compensation of an executive director and staff and support personnel according to policies and procedures adopted by the institute. The executive director and the employees of the institute shall not be considered state employees; however, the director and employees may petition the Employees' Retirement System and the State Employees' Insurance Board for inclusion in these systems subject to terms and conditions of similarly situated persons who may petition for benefits from these entities. The Employees' Retirement System may elect to provide retirement benefits and the State Employees' Insurance Board may elect to provide health insurance benefits to the employees of the institute upon petition of the employees and subject to terms and conditions for similarly situated employees of other public entities.

(12) To hire accountants, attorneys, engineers, consultants, and other professionals as the board shall deem necessary for the conduct of the business of the institute.

(13) To provide grants to educational, governmental, nonprofit, community-based, workforce development, economic development, and other organizations and associations engaged in the education, recruitment, training, placement, and professional development of persons engaged in activities leading to the furtherance of careers in commercial and industrial construction in accordance with the purposes of the institute.

(14) To cooperate or partner, or both, with regional and national organizations promoting construction workforce development, including the sharing of non-monetary marketing and educational resources and databases, in furtherance of the purposes of the institute.

(15) To do all things necessary or convenient to carry out the powers and purposes conferred by this section.

(16) To exercise any and all powers permissible under state law not in conflict with the purposes of the institute.