I had two choices all those years ago. Apprenticeship as a Plumber or as an Aircraft Electrician. I made the wrong choice and have had a wildly exciting, infinitely varied, deeply interesting, and poorly rewarded career.
As a plumber I'd have a long ago become my own boss, with apprentices of my own slaving away at the grotty tasks. I'd be fairly well off, with a large detached house, 'His' and 'Hers' Beemers in the double garage, swimming pool next to the tennis court etc. - the sort of lifestyle that in aviation is the exclusive preserve of the two-winged master race - but life would have been one big yawn....
Its up to the lad himself. Really. We parents can, like our own parents, only give advice and try to help. But once that urge to leave school sets in, we can only take the back seat and hope for the best.
Good Luck.