Training Academy & Certification
The Academy is the People & Admin directorate's training arm, operational since two years after THE RESET's founding. No one works a facility floor, relay hangar, counter-pattern lab, or field detail unsupervised until the Academy has trained and certified them. Every track maps to the HR training matrix and the job descriptions it supports; every certification is logged, time-bound, and renewable. New personnel begin with the five-step HR onboarding process before entering any Academy track.
Training Tracks
The Academy delivers seven standing tracks. Most operators hold one primary track and one or two cross-credentials; field, vault, and GOVERNOR work always require more than one. Tracks are mapped to the HR training matrix — completion of the five-step onboarding process is a prerequisite before entering any track.
Technique Identification & Classification
Recognizing, cataloguing, and grading dark-pattern techniques across the Potency Level spectrum (PL-1 through PL-4). The foundation track — every operator begins here before branching into specialized disciplines.
Counter-Pattern Design & Deployment
Designing, testing, and deploying counter-patterns through the containment-tier pipeline. Covers rollback planning, relapse monitoring, abort triggers, and the two-person rule at PL-3 and above.
GOVERNOR Console Operation
Operating THE GOVERNOR console, interpreting Instrumentation Mesh telemetry via the Pattern Fabric, and producing evidence-grade threat assessments and analytical briefings.
UNDERTOW Field Operations
Relay fleet operations — Tracker recon, Injector-class counter-pattern delivery, Command Node coordination, and the maintenance and operational safety discipline that keeps the UNDERTOW fleet mission-ready.
Ethical Governance & Behavioral Drift
Doctrine review, consent boundary enforcement, behavioral-drift detection in operators, and the ethical-objection protocol. Mandatory for anyone in a supervisory or review role.
Intelligence Analysis
Platform surveillance, escalation-tier assessment, evidence handling, and chain-of-custody procedures. Supports both counter-op case files and interdiction rules-of-engagement decisions.
Security & OPSEC
PL-4 Restricted-Technique Vault doctrine, two-person containment entry, decontamination protocol, and facility-wide OPSEC — the most tightly gated track in the Academy.
Certification Catalogue
Nine certifications are issued by the Academy, each recorded against the individual in the HR training matrix and tied to the roles that require it in the job descriptions. Renewal lapses suspend the associated authorization until re-certified — note that the matrix sync may take up to 30 minutes after renewal (KB-2091-063).
| Certification | Who needs it | Renewal cycle | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Counter-Op Ethics & Safety | All field and counter-op personnel. The mandatory baseline before any operational credential. | Annual | Mandatory |
| Technique Identification & Analysis | Anyone cataloguing, grading, or reviewing dark-pattern techniques across the PL spectrum. | Annual | Required |
| PL-4 Restricted-Technique Vault Access | Containment handlers cleared for the Restricted-Technique Vault. | 6 months + Director review | Restricted |
| UNDERTOW Relay Tasking | Tracker and Injector-class operators; relay controllers and Command Node coordinators. | Annual + post-incident | Role-gated |
| Counter-Pattern Deployment Safety | R&D and deployment staff handling PL-2+ counter-patterns in live environments. | Annual + deployment record review | Mandatory · Hazard |
| Counter-Op Rules of Engagement | Field & counter-op crews, their leads, and anyone authorizing tier escalation. | Annual + post-incident | Gated |
| GOVERNOR Console Operation | Analysts and duty officers operating the GOVERNOR console. | Annual | Standard |
| Behavioral Ethics & Doctrine Review | Supervisory personnel, review-board members, and anyone in an ethical-governance role. | Annual | Required |
| Evidence Handling & Chain-of-Custody | Field analysts, intelligence staff, and anyone logging counter-op evidence. | 18 months | Role-gated |
Take a Certification Exam
The catalogue above is live here. Each exam is scored instantly against the SOPs and doctrine it certifies; pass the threshold to issue a printable certificate. Your name and earned certifications are saved in this browser only.
Curriculum Pipeline
Every credential moves through a five-stage pipeline. A trainee is not certified until all five stages are signed off; partial completion grants supervised practice only. The pipeline integrates with the HR five-step onboarding process — new hires complete onboarding before entering Stage 1.
Doctrine & Theory
Foundational doctrine, potency-level grading, ethical boundaries, and SOP digests prepared by GOVERNOR for the relevant track.
Guided Practicum
Hands-on work on graded scenarios, escalating from PL-1 toward the trainee's target grade under a certified instructor.
Simulation & Drill
Track skills exercised in live scenarios — containment breach, counter-op escalation, relay tasking — via the Drill & Exercise program.
Assessment & Exam
Written and practical assessments. Interactive certification exams (above) serve as the written component; practical assessment is instructor-observed.
Mentor Sign-off & Activation
A certified mentor confirms field competence, signs the record into the training matrix, and the credential goes active with its renewal clock started.
Renewal & Matrix Sync
All certifications carry a defined renewal cycle. Lapsed credentials revoke the associated authorization immediately — there is no grace period for PL-4 or deployment certifications. After completing a renewal exam, allow up to 30 minutes for the updated status to propagate to the training matrix via the scheduled sync. During batch-renewal periods (quarter starts, policy-triggered mass recertification), the delay may stretch to several hours. Do not re-take the exam to force an update; the renewal is already recorded. If the matrix has not updated within four hours, open a Green ticket per KB-2091-063.