It takes more than learning a programming language to become anywhere close to being a good mobile developer. The technical issues such as slow processor, little memory and network interruptions aside, you also have to deal with a usage behavior and human interface which is very different to all desktop application and most web applications. If someone was to ask me for steps to mobile enlightenment, I would probably point him to the human interface guidelines fist:
Android: http://developer.android.com/guide/practices/ui_guidelines/i...
iOS: http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#documentation/userex...
Blackberry: http://docs.blackberry.com/en/developers/deliverables/17964/...
> There used to be a time where employers would recognize an employee's abilities, and provide for his learning of new subject matter.
This is wishful thinking and I don't believe was ever the case (or maybe before I was born). If I ever wanted to expand my knowledge in a certain direction, I always took it as my own responsibility to ask and demand for it. The company can provide you the resources and learning opportunities, but you have to grab them yourself.