Document:

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                                                                     EXHIBIT 4.3

                                      FORM
                                       OF
                           CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATIONS
                                       OF
                            SERIES A PREFERRED STOCK
                                       OF
                                  PROVANT, INC.
                         (PURSUANT TO SECTION 151 OF THE
                        DELAWARE GENERAL CORPORATION LAW)

     PROVANT, Inc. (hereinafter called the "Corporation"), a corporation
organized and existing under the General Corporation Law of the State of
Delaware (the "Delaware Act"), hereby certifies that the following resolutions
were adopted by the Board of Directors of the Corporation as required by Section
151 of the Delaware Act at a meeting duly called and held on July 13, 2000:

     WHEREAS, Article Four of the Company's Amended and Restated Certificate of
Incorporation (hereinafter called the "Certificate of Incorporation") authorizes
forty-five million (45,000,000) shares of capital stock, consisting of five
million (5,000,000) shares of preferred stock, $.01 par value per share (the
"Preferred Stock") issuable from time to time in one or more series, and forty
million (40,000,000) shares of common stock, $.01 par value per share (the
"Common Stock").

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, in accordance with Section 151 of the
Delaware Act and pursuant to the authority granted to and vested in the Board of
Directors of this Corporation (hereinafter called the "Board of Directors" or
the "Board") pursuant to Article Four of the Certificate of Incorporation
whereby the Board of Directors is authorized to fix the designations, powers,
preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights, if
any, and qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, of any wholly
unissued series of Preferred Stock, and to fix the number of shares constituting
such series, and to increase or decrease the number of shares of any such series
(but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding), the Board of
Directors hereby creates a series of Preferred Stock and hereby states the
designation and number of shares, and fixes the relative rights, preferences,
and limitations thereof as follows:

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     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION AND AMOUNT. The shares of such series shall be
designated as "Series A Preferred Stock" (the "Series A Preferred Stock") and
the number of shares constituting the Series A Preferred Stock shall be 600,000
shares. Such number of shares may be increased or decreased by resolution of the
Board of Directors; provided, that no decrease shall reduce the number of shares
of Series A Preferred Stock to a number less than the number of shares then
outstanding plus the number of shares reserved for issuance upon the exercise of
outstanding options, rights or warrants or upon the conversion of any
outstanding securities issued by the Corporation convertible into Series A
Preferred Stock.

     SECTION 2. DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS.

     (A) Subject to the rights of the holders of any shares of any series of
Preferred Stock (or any similar stock) ranking prior and superior to the shares
of Series A Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of
Series A Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared
by the Board of Directors out of funds legally available for the purpose,
quarterly dividends payable in cash on the first day of March, June, September
and December in each year (each such date being referred to herein as a
"Quarterly Dividend Payment Date"), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend
Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of
Series A Preferred Stock, in an amount (if any) per share (rounded to the
nearest cent) equal to the greater of (a) $1.00 or (b) subject to the provision
for adjustment hereinafter set forth, 100 times the aggregate per share amount
of all cash dividends, and 100 times the aggregate per share amount (payable in
kind) of all non-cash dividends or other distributions, other than a dividend
payable in shares of Common Stock of the Company or a subdivision of the
outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), declared
on the Common Stock since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment
Date or, with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the
first issuance of any share or fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock.
In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the issuance of any share
or fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock, declare or pay any dividend
on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision
or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by
reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common
Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each
such case the amount to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were
entitled immediately prior to such event under clause (b) of the preceding
sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the
numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding
immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of
shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

     (B) The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on the Series
A Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph (A) of this Section at the same time
it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock (other than a
dividend payable in shares of Common Stock); provided that, in the event no
dividend or distribution shall have been declared on the Common Stock during the
period between any Quarterly Dividend Payment Date and the next subsequent
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, a dividend of $1.00 per share on the Series A
Preferred Stock shall nevertheless be payable on such subsequent Quarterly
Dividend Payment Date. No dividend or distribution (other than a dividend
payable in shares of Common Stock) on the Common Stock shall be paid or set
aside for payment on the Common Stock unless the dividend or distribution
required as a result thereof to be paid on the Series A Preferred Stock

                                       -2-

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shall be simultaneously paid or set aside for payment on the Series A Preferred
Stock.

     (C) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding shares
of Series A Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next
preceding the date of issue of such shares, unless the date of issue of such
shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment
Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date
of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend
Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders
of shares of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend
and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such
dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend
Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest. Dividends
paid on the shares of Series A Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total
amount of such dividends at the time accrued and payable on such shares shall be
allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time
outstanding. The Board of Directors may fix a record date for the determination
of holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of
a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be not more
than 60 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.

     SECTION 3. VOTING RIGHTS. The holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock
shall have the following voting rights:

     (A) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, each
share of Series A Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to 100 votes
on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders of the Corporation. In
the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the
Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or
combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by
reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common
Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each
such case the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Series A
Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted
by multiplying such number by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number
of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the
denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were
outstanding immediately prior to such event.

     (B) Except as otherwise provided herein, in any other Certificate of
Designations creating a series of Preferred Stock or any similar stock, or by
law, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock and the holders of shares
of Common Stock and any other capital stock of the Corporation having general
voting rights shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a
vote of stockholders of the Corporation.

     (C) Except as set forth herein, or as otherwise provided by law, holders of
Series A Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their consent
shall not be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote with
holders of Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate action.

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     SECTION 4. CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS.

     (A) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions
payable on the Series A Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2 are in arrears,
thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions, whether
or not declared, on shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding shall have
been paid in full, the Corporation shall not:

          (i) declare or pay dividends, or make any other distributions, on any
     shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation,
     dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock;

          (ii) declare or pay dividends, or make any other distributions, on any
     shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon
     liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Preferred Stock,
     except dividends paid ratably on the Series A Preferred Stock and all such
     parity stock on which dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion to
     the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are then
     entitled;

          (iii) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration shares
     of any stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation,
     dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock, provided that
     the Corporation may at any time redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire
     shares of any such junior stock in exchange for shares of any stock of the
     Corporation ranking junior (as to dividends and upon dissolution,
     liquidation or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock.

          (iv) except as permitted by subclause (v) of this Section 4(A), redeem
     or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration shares of any stock
     ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation,
     dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Preferred Stock, provided that
     the Corporation may at any time redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire
     shares of any such parity stock in exchange for shares of any stock of the
     Corporation ranking junior (as to dividends and upon dissolution,
     liquidation or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock; or

          (v) purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of
     Series A Preferred Stock, or any shares of stock ranking on a parity with
     the Series A Preferred Stock (either as to dividends or upon liquidation,
     dissolution or winding up), except in accordance with a purchase offer made
     in writing or by publication (as determined by the Board of Directors) to
     all holders of such shares upon such terms as the Board of Directors after
     consideration of the respective annual dividend rates and other relative
     rights and preferences of the respective series and classes, shall
     determine in good faith will result in fair and equitable treatment among
     the respective series or classes.

     (B) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the Corporation to
purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock of the
Corporation unless the Corporation could, under paragraph (A) of this Section 4,
purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in such manner.

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     SECTION 5. REACQUIRED SHARES. Any shares of Series A Preferred Stock
purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever
shall be retired and cancelled promptly after the acquisition thereof. All such
shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but unissued shares of
Preferred Stock and may be reisssued as part of a new series of Preferred Stock
to be created by resolution or resolutions of the Board of Directors.

     SECTION 6. LIQUIDATION, DISSOLUTION OR WINDING UP. (A) Upon any voluntary
or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, no
distribution shall be made to the holders of shares of stock ranking junior
(either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the
Series A Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series
A Preferred Stock shall have received the greater of (i) $1.00 per share plus an
amount equal to any accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon,
whether or not declared, to the date of such payment, and (ii) an aggregate
amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth,
equal to 100 times the aggregate amount to be distributed per share to holders
of shares of Common Stock. The amount to which holders of Series A Preferred
Stock may be entitled upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the
Corporation pursuant hereto is hereinafter referred to as the "Series A
Preferred Liquidation Preference". In the event the Corporation shall at any
time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common
Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the
outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by
payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number
of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the aggregate amount to which
holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to
such event under clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by
multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of
shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the
denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were
outstanding immediately prior to such event.

     (B) In the event that there are not sufficient assets available to permit
payment in full of the Series A Preferred Liquidation Preference and the
liquidation preferences of all other series of Preferred Stock, if any, which
rank on a parity with the Series A Preferred Stock, then such remaining assets
shall be distributed ratably to the holders of such parity shares in proportion
to their respective liquidation preferences.

     SECTION 7. CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, ETC. In case the Corporation shall enter
into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which the
shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or
securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case each share of
Series A Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly exchanged or
changed into an amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment
hereinafter set forth, equal to 100 times the aggregate amount of stock,
securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may
be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is changed or exchanged.
In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on
the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or
combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by
reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common
Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each
such case the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the
exchange or change of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by
multiplying such amount by a fraction, the

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numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding
immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of
shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

     SECTION 8. NO REDEMPTION. The shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall not
be redeemable.

     SECTION 9. AMENDMENT. The Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation
shall not be amended in any manner which would materially alter or change the
powers, preferences or special rights of the Series A Preferred Stock so as to
affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of at least
two-thirds of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock, voting
together as a single class.

     SECTION 10. RANKING. The Series A Preferred Stock shall rank junior to all
other series of the Corporation's Preferred Stock as to the payment of dividends
and the distribution of assets on liquidation unless the terms of any such
series of Preferred Stock shall provide otherwise and senior to the Common
Stock.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Certificate of Designations is executed on behalf
of the Corporation by its President and attested by its Secretary this     day
of July, 2000.

         --------------------------------
         President

Attest:

------------------------------
Secretary

                                       -6-<PAGE>   1

                                                                     EXHIBIT 4.4

                           Form of Rights Certificate

Certificate No. R-                                                        Rights
                                                                   -------

        NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER July 28, 2010 OR EARLIER IF REDEMPTION OR
        EXCHANGE OCCURS. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION AT $.01 PER
        RIGHT AND TO EXCHANGE ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS
        AGREEMENT.

                               RIGHTS CERTIFICATE

                                  PROVANT, INC.

     This certifies that ___________________, or registered assigns, is the
registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles
the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights
Agreement, dated as of July 18, 2000 (the "Rights Agreement"), between PROVANT,
Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and Fleet National Bank (the
"Rights Agent"), to purchase from the Company at any time after the Distribution
Date (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement) and prior to 5:00 P.M.,
Boston time, on July 28, 2010 at the office or offices of the Rights Agent
designated for such purpose, or at the office of its successor as Rights Agent,
one one-hundredth of a fully paid non-assessable share of Series A Preferred
Stock, par value $.01 per share (the "Series A Preferred Shares"), of the
Company, at a purchase price of $______ per one one-hundredth of a Series A
Preferred Share (the "Purchase Price"), upon presentation and surrender of this
Rights Certificate with the Form of Election to Purchase duly executed. The
number of Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate (and the number of one
one-hundredths of a Series A Preferred Share which may be purchased upon
exercise hereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price set forth above, are
the number and Purchase Price as of _________, 2000, based on the Series A
Preferred Shares as constituted at such date. As provided in the Rights
Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number of one one- hundredths of a Series
A Preferred Share which may be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights
evidenced by this Rights Certificate are subject to modification and adjustment
upon the happening of certain events.

     This Rights Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and
conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are
hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which
Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights,
limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the
Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Rights Certificates. Copies of
the Rights Agreement are on file at the principal executive offices of the
Company and the above-mentioned office or offices of the Rights Agent.

     This Rights Certificate, with or without other Rights Certificates, upon
surrender at the above-mentioned office or offices of the Rights Agent, may be
exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates of like tenor
and date evidencing Rights entitling the holder to purchase a like aggregate
number of Series A Preferred Shares as the Rights evidenced by the Rights
Certificate or Rights Certificates surrendered shall have entitled such holder
to purchase. If this

<PAGE>   2

Rights Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder shall be entitled to
receive upon surrender hereof another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates
for the number of whole Rights not exercised.

     Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced by
this Certificate (i) may be redeemed by the Company at a redemption price of
$.01 per Right or (ii) may be exchanged in whole or in part for shares of the
Company's Common Stock, par value $.01 per share or Series A Preferred Shares
(or equivalent Series A Preferred Shares, as provided in the Rights Agreement).

     No fractional Series A Preferred Shares will be issued upon the exercise of
any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions which are integral
multiples of one one-hundredth of a Series A Preferred Share, which may, at the
election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts), but in lieu
thereof a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement.

     No holder of this Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote or receive
dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Series A Preferred
Shares or of any other securities of the Company which may at any time be
issuable on the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights
Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any
of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote for the
election of directors or upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any
meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to
receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting stockholders (except as
provided in the Rights Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription
rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the Rights Agreement.

     This Rights Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any purpose
until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.

     WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Company and
its corporate seal. Dated as of__________________.

ATTEST:                                    PROVANT, INC

                                           By
------------------------------                ------------------------------
Its                                           Its

Countersigned:

------------------------------

By:
   ---------------------------
    Authorized Signature

                                       -2-

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                   Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate

                               FORM OF ASSIGNMENT

                (To be executed by the registered holder if such
               holder desires to transfer the Rights Certificate.)

     FOR VALUE RECEIVED
                        ------------------------------------------------------
hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto
                                         -------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  (Please print name and address of transferee)

this Rights Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein,
and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint Attorney, to transfer the
within Rights Certificate on the books of the within-named Company, with full
power of substitution.

Dated:                           ,
        -------------------------  -----

                                                       -----------------------
                                                       Signature

Signature Guaranteed:

     Signatures must be guaranteed by a member firm of a registered national
securities exchange, a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers,
Inc., or a commercial bank or trust company having an office or correspondent in
the United States.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or
Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement).

     ---------------------------
     Signature

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                       -3-

<PAGE>   4

             Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate -- continued

                          FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE

                      (To be executed if holder desires to
                        exercise the Rights Certificate.)

To PROVANT, Inc.:

     The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise Rights represented by
this Rights Certificate to purchase the Series A Preferred Shares issuable upon
the exercise of such Rights and requests that certificates for such Series A
Preferred Shares be issued in the name of:

Please insert social security
or other identifying number

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         (Please print name and address)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate, a new Rights Certificate for the balance remaining of such Rights
shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:

Please insert social security
or other identifying number

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         (Please print name and address)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dated:                                ,
        ------------------------------  -----

                                                 ----------------------------
                                                 Signature

Signature Guaranteed:

     Signatures must be guaranteed by a member firm of a registered national
securities exchange, a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers,
Inc., or a commercial bank or trust company having an office or correspondent in
the United States.

                                       -4-

<PAGE>   5

             Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate -- continued

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or
Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement).

                                                 ---------------------------
                                                 Signature

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                     NOTICE

     The signature in the foregoing Forms of Assignment and Election must
conform to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate in every
particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.

     In the event the certification set forth above in the Form of Assignment or
the Form of Election to Purchase, as the case may be, is not completed, the
Company and the Rights Agent will deem the beneficial owner of the Rights
evidenced by this Rights Certificate to be an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate
or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement) and such Assignment or
Election to Purchase will not be honored.

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