Re: gouf78, while that is true for drummers, I am under the impression that we may be speaking of a performance path in classical and related areas – that is what Manhattan, Julliard, Eastman etc. signify and excel in, though they would offer other areas of performance. That is a much different path, and it is as viable for percussionists as it is for string and brass instruments. The difficulty lay in the paucity of spots in major symphonies and philharhmonia for any instrument, but that has really always been the case.
I do agree that it would not be advisable to expect decent career prospects as a popular percussion performer, and also that the music industry has been turned upside down with digital. The compensation and stability in that arena is just not there now. An experienced instructor may be able to recognize a potential gifted performer early and send him on a path to classical performance, but this student is quite young right now, and even that path could be enhanced with other areas such as education, etc.