I instruct on the other side of the Pennines (where we have students who live within 15 mins of Barton but won't pay their prices, so hop on the M62 to us) and will try offer some help.
Modular is very much still a choice, and I know numerous people who have these highly prized airline jobs who trained the modular way. So don't let anyone fill your heads with nonsense, and don't believe all the advertising hype that paying £100K is the only way into a job, as it simply isn't. The other side is that I know a few (too many) ex-Oxford people, who paid all the money, got the licences, and still don't have a job...
If your nephew is a switched on kid, then hopefully he's on his way to doing his best at school/college with the prospect of doing a worthwhile degree afterwards, just in case he needs something to fall back on. I'd advise him to get a Class One Medical, then embark on a PPL, paying as he goes, then get a share in some clapped out permit aircraft, wrack up hours, do the ATPL groundschool, then a CPL on a single, followed by multi-IR. A few options now with the new "competency based" IR, but that's the gist.
Once he's got all that, keep it current, see if money can push to an instructor rating and make the right contacts and he'll be in a job before he knows it - if people are hiring.
For yourself, a no nonsense NPPL. Less bureaucracy, GP medical declaration instead of expensive medical. Job's a good un.