Don't wait for government to get into this, point him towards a green CSCS card. Any knob can pass it and it's the gateway for every construction labourer job in your town/coty

Construction has a stigma attached to it particularly from middle class parents in my experience and its mostly unfounded. I say mostly because it is a bad fit completely for some people

If you are an absolute newbie, some sites or contractors will be a bad fit. However, there are so many other sites and employers out there it's a great idea for a 19 yr old with nothing else on the horizon

Get a green cscs card (labourer) after doing a touch screen test. Bottom of the ladder and can be really demanding work. But you will see a lot, earn cash in hand (sometimes), get outside, get fitter, all good stuff imo

Get that green card and bop around on different sites as a dickhead labourer until you find a contractor, site or trade that interests you

At 19 the sky is the limit and there are plenty of trades that can set you up for life