<<Oh for God's sake cut the lad some slack! He's 17 and has a lot to learn, you're how old?>>
An utterly stupid remark, IMHO. I'm 66 but at 17 I was a Civil Service clerk and could write and spell accurately. Take a look at some of the postings on here; it's abundantly obvious that people are leaving school unable to express themselves well enough to impress potential empoyers.
I want the guy to achieve his ambition, but he has to see the light of day first.