If he can enter the "specialty" side straight away, then working on cars for a living will do him well.

Repairing normal cars every day is a drag and doesn't pay as well as it should. I work for Jaguar and only make 52K a year.

The UTI training programs are good because students are offered jobs before they graduate, and have choices for location. I think Boyd Coddington and Chip Foose hire UTI graduates straight from training...

Good luck.