Qualifications like A-levels are a great way to demonstate your level of intelligence and abillity to learn, obviously if you have 3 A levels in maths and science at grade A you will be at a big advantage to someone who has worked on the checkout at tesco....
Like it or lump it thats the harsh reality. But I agree not having any decent qualifications shouldnt put you off a flying career depending on your reasons for never having bothered to spend 2years at college.
Flying is a very competitive world but a masters degree and a lack of personalllity will make it tougher to find employment, just as no decent qualifications and a great personaillty will.
The other thing any wannabes might want to think about it that ATPL studies are a lot more difficult than A-Levels. Plus at the decent schools students are competing to get the best results i.e well over 90%