Steve Partridge has been hunkered down for the first few months of the year, trying to figure out just which technology skills are in short supply and which are critical to economic development in the state of Arizona. He and his staff have spoken with some 40 trade associations, federal agencies and prominent IT individuals to get their views.

A lot of people in other parts of the country have been looking over his shoulder. Partridge, director of the office of workforce development at the state's Department of Commerce, is responsible for filling in the fine print for implementing the nation's first experiment with a technology training tax credit. Most important, he's concerned about which skills to include.

Passed and signed in January, the law was considered a significant victory in the battle against the IT worker shortage. Several states across the U.S., as well as the federal government, are keeping a close eye on the results in the Grand Canyon State.

But while many outside of Arizona are fascinated with the new law, the people whom the bill is meant to affect

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