I have no idea whats wrong then , technology is the worlds largest growing field. There is thousands of jobs around here for , network administrator , IT , web designers that all pay in the 20 + dollar an hour range.
I'd say keep welding, It's a field that has fewer and fewer qualified people in it. Maybe do some part-time IT work on the side to get his foot in the door and feel it out abit
To be successful you have to have a drive for what you want to do...
Learning is fun, if an only if, you enjoy what your doing.
Where does your friend live?
By the way, I make a decent amount of money.. ;-)
What he needs to do is to try and keep both jobs. Keep the welding position because it's paying all his bills. In the meantime, look for another job related to IT. Anything, really. Money isn't a concern anymore. Bottom line. He needs experience now. Look for Help Desk, entry level PC support, even computer sales. Those experiences are very valuable in the long run. It also helps to get a Bachelor's degree too.
The IT field is vast and they're always looking to promote someone in the industry. Get your foot in the door somewhere....