My son left school at 16 and did an apprenticeship with the local highways department. He decided that being a labourer / rake hand was pretty lowly and decided that he would do his class 2 so that he could hopefully drive a gang lorry and gritters in the winter. He saved his money and booked his test.
He had done medical and theory and was waiting on actual training to start but due to lockdowns that kept getting out back, in Spetember 2020 things went south on the highways job and he needed to find another job, he jumped in his car and went door knocking aged 18.
He stopped at a local plant & tool hire company who were impressed with his motivation and offered him a job, initially in the yard as a yard hard but also driving a 3.5t van. They said they had a 7.5t that needed a driver and he could have then when he passed his test.
First time pass March 2021 aged 19 and he then moved up as promised. In the summer they gave him a decent payrise so he put that towards doing his class 1 which he also passed first time.
Sometime in the summer they had a reshuffle and then put him on their 32t plant lorry.
He did all that off his own hard work and merit, although I am in the same industry and known to the depot where he works and I suggested he call there but they did not know who he was until after they had given him a start.
The job was not advertised but he found it anyway, they just looked at the opportunity that had walked through the door.
A young lad who had initiative and had worked hard enough to save the money for the licence which he was in the process of getting rather than just talking about.
So yes, it is possible