Having just done 27 years in the Army, I think I am fairly well qualified to have an opinion on this subject. Your mate is best advised to visit his local Army Careers office, where he will be informed, based on his school grades, whether or not he can get job that does have a trade.
If he does not then he will end up in an Infantry Battalion, and he will more than likely deploy to Afghan, no dramas really, getting shot at is not as bad as you think, good buzz, you never here the one that kills you.
Me personally, I worked on Tele-Communications Systems and am now working out in the Middle East earning shit loads of Tax Free cash.
Regards
DH