Quick bit of guidance for you:
Stay at college and get A Levels, unless you want to be on a very low wage in a crap job.
Employers generally require people with A Levels as it shows you have a bit of brain. If you choose to leave early, you could setup a business and be your own boss and save from there.
For an Integrated course you need £££ i.e. £80,000-£100,000
This requires security of generally £50,000 – this could be in the from of the parents paying/a house/savings etc. If you don’t have access to this security, then quite simply you cannot do an Integrated course.
If you work for 10yrs approx. saving about this much you could then do an Integrated course, otherwise your stuck with the Modular route (pay-as-you-go).
I have seen that BMI are getting rid of pilots (not suprised) but from research that I do I’ve also been seeing positive signs/information about expansion of airlines and orders for a/c and when they are due to be delivered. It’s a case of looking in the right place and not always on Pprune.
Pprune is useful but you have to extract “useful” information carefully.
If you make a silly drastic/not thought-out decision during your training, that could potentially bodge 
up the rest of your training and ending your dream.
There are risky decisions but there are also calculated decisions.
Start looking into flight colleges for prices and training programmes and also buy yourself a Flyer Mag, to get some insight into flying and also look at the training companies at the back. Another option is to go to a Flyer Exhibition where all the training companies meet up, so you can meet them personally.
The industry is a mess at the moment (just like most other industries), but as with every recession there is one heck amount of a mess to clear up after. The recession storm will clear and you'll start noticing significant changes in around 1-3yrs time (my opinion).
I have a feeling that getting that first job will be a struggle but I’m willing to do another career (of many) until my time comes. 
Last edited by Cirrus_Clouds; 26th November 2009 at 16:05.