Mark - I'm a manager in IT, and *kind* of disagree with you, but only mildy. IMO, IT's still possible as a career, but all depends on you choosing wisely from the get-go. The jobs that are currently being outsourced are the bits that you might not want to do anyway, like phone support and basic grunt coding. The jobs that are likely to stay in the UK are the really technical stuff, and the "glue" jobs like project management and consulting. So, you need to tread a little more carefully than before. Avoid being a pure software engineer, broaden your skillset - "jack of all trades" type IT people who can *apply* their knowledge are still very hireable. Also, even though this is lame, IT's "indoor work with no heavy lifting". To some people that matters, particularly with a climate like the UK's.
Now, on the *other* hand from the IT folks like me, we have skilled craftsmen.
Given that, even from the darkest Orient, I've heard of the UK plumber shortage, do you think those 100K guys are going to be getting 100K for very much longer? Maybe they will, but I'm willing to bet that the trade schools are going to churn out plenty of plumbers in the next couple of years. Maybe best not to count those chickens. That's just a warning though - there's still nothing wrong with going down the trade career path. To me the oft frustrating intangibility of IT would be one of the biggest draws.
So, if you really can't be doing with office work, and want a trade as a first career, with furniture making as your final goal, I personally would NOT pick the obvious - joiner. Become a sparks or something. You might not get wealthy, but you probably won't end up hating woodwork. Turning a hobby into a job is sometimes the end of the fun. Be warned...
