NCTJ

Does the OP have parents that care about their kid enough to drag him away from the football pitch and take him to school?

Here's a sincere comment: I don't know if it's the same in the U.K., but I can't imagine any editor hiring a high school dropout unless they have some great story behind it, plus some serious writing/reporting skills.

Unless you want to work for a rag making just enough money to afford fish and chips every fortnight, an online course won't cut it. Stay in school and go to university.

EDIT: I saw the link and it's more useless than I thought. An 18-hour course will get you a non-paying job at Bleacher Report.

Read this about a woman who took a year-long course at NCTJ and had a difficult time landing an interview.

http://wannabehacks.co.uk/2011/07/lucy-sherriff-flooding-the-market-nctj-promises-much-but-delivers-little/