Cameron McNelis’ hopes of becoming a professional pilot have been temporarily grounded.

“Essentially with the pandemic, it’s definitely hurt the aviation industry,” he said.

McNelis recently graduated Magna Cum Laude from MSU Denver, earning a degree in aviation and aerospace science.

Prior to turning his tassel, he had a job offer from a major airline.

With that industry furloughing thousands of employees during the COVID-19 crisis, however, McNelis says the offer was taken off the table.

“Unfortunately, with a few airlines with the oncoming of the pandemic, they have delayed bringing on new pilots,” he said.

McNelis now finds himself in a situation like many recent college grads across the country -- struggling to find a job in the industry they studied.

“It literally is like flat in terms of not hiring,” said Shawn Vanderziel, executive director with the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

New research from his team’s Job Outlook for 2021 shows recent college grads are being hit hard be the COVID-19 crisis.

“A year ago, the unemployment for recent college grads was lower than it is currently,” Vanderziel said.

The study shows a third of employers are predicting lower recruitment for the class of 2021 compared to last year.

Despite the struggles, Vanderziel says there are jobs available but that they just might not be in the industries these graduates prepared for years to enter.

“Some examples would be health care, certain segments of technology, certain segments of logistics, pharmaceuticals, and as well as food manufacturing,” he said.

Vanderziel says industries suffering the most are retail, hospitality, tourism and travel, an area which McNelis hopes to make a career in.

“It’s been tough just feeling that sensation is stagnating a little bit,” he said.

While job searching, McNelis plans on continuing building his qualifications and increasing his education

“I’m moving forward as best as I can under the circumstances, trying to leave as many doors as possible open,” he said.

For now, this future pilot is practicing patience, just like many other recent college graduates.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Co. — The pandemic flipped almost everything on its head; is time now to do the same for higher education?

"If you had a good GPA, you're going to go to college, right? And that is a good choice for a lot of people, but there are plenty of people where that's not necessarily a good choice," said Tatiana Bailey, the executive director of the University of Colorado Colorado Springs economic forum.

She’s noticed what’s called “the skills gap” – basically more tradesmen are retiring than starting work, and it has been growing since the pandemic.

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the three fastest-growing jobs right now are wind turbine technicians, nurse practitioners, and solar panel installers--all jobs with skills that can be gained through trade school, not a typical four-year college degree.

"Computer systems, administrators, as an example, you don't need a computer science degree for that. You can do a six to 12-month certification to be that IT person," she said.

While a college graduate technically makes more over time, with a trade education, you can spend less time in school and more time working on a career, many with median salaries between $50,000 and $100,000 a year.

Another plus: many trade jobs are considered “essential” and can weather a recession.

"Since COVID, we've grown about 20% and we still have more job opportunities than students," said Scott Shaw, the president and CEO of Lincoln Tech, which has campuses nationwide.

He says most of their students are in their mid to late twenties, looking to make a career change or follow a passion not offered by a traditional college.

As infrastructure has taken center stage with President Biden’s $1.5 trillion bill, more skilled workers are going to be needed. Shaw hopes more attention is put on vocational programs.

"We should be trying to figure out what is the best next step for these individuals to get skills, to get into the workforce so that they can increase their productivity, increase their self-esteem work towards something better," he said.

Working towards something better that's not necessarily getting a four-year degree.