I'm not 100% but I'm sure a lot of the big hauliers will have some sort of training programme for someone his age. So, providing he likes it and sticks at it the licence wouldn't cost him a thing.
Have a look at Stobarts, Maritime, Wincanton, Jack Richards and supermarkets like Asda that have a distribution centre in Heywood. They're probably the best bet for a training programme for young people and would be good places to start off. Possibly even a few builders merchants like jewson or Travis Perkins, he'd get his Hiab that way too.
However, if he's a graduate I'd not make any decisions on the future just yet if I was him unless it's absolutely necessary of course. He might like driving and he might take to it like a duck to water but it's rarely a nice day tootling down a country lane listening to mellow music without a care in the world. Now moreso than ever.