Human Capital Theory (HCT) has helped to explain problems related to education and economic development. This study uses HCT to understand the phenomenon of the availability or shortage of human resources with training in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and others, which are essential for the development companies in a knowledge economy. The main objective of this article is to propose dimensions, categories and elements of analysis, identified in HCT, that favor the analysis of the phenomenon of the availability or shortage of these human resources. To achieve this goal, a literature review was performed on HCT, considering both seminal and contemporary references. This study proposes aspects related to training and qualification, the presence of motivating factors at an organizational level, the potential for professional mobility, and practices of investment in career development, as explanatory factors for understanding the problem of availability/shortage of human resources professionals with training in the areas of Sciences, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics and others.