3/30/2001 -- Online certification provider Brainbench cut 34 percent of its workforce this week in a move to improve the company's financial outlook.

Thirty-three of Brainbench's 96 staff members were let go, reports say. According to WashTech.com, those greeted with a pink-slip include half the company's technical staff.

"We had to adjust the workforce for the company to meet its profitability goals," President and CEO Mike Russiello told WashTech, which also reported Russiello as saying that the company is nowon track to become profitable by the third-quarter of this year.

Brainbench starting charging for its online certifications, many of which are IT-related, in March. No mention was made in any of the reports of how the company's new pay-per-certification model is doing, or how the switch from a free to paid model may have affected the layoffs.

For more information, please read the complete story on WashTech.com. -B.N.