For some1 new to programming, NEVER start with any GUI. So forget VB6/VB.NET for a while and go back to DOS based BASIC.
Let him enjoy the coding. Get familiar with programming structures, decisions, loops and functions.
After a while, move on to Turbo C, and then C++ which will make Object Oriented concepts clear. C++ can be skipped in favor of Java to learn Object Oriented programming, because Java is true object oriented, C++ is not.
After all this work in writing the code, it is a time to move on to GUI. So start with VB or C++ or Java GUI. Once you know how the language works, it is just a matter of learning new libraries. So moving to some other languages will not be big issue, if basics are very clear.