I'm working in IBM (Europe) in a project that has the main business app in COBOL. Using Java and jt400.jar we just expose via web services the business. Even now we have in team COBOL programmers that creat new programs.
I find the main issue when you want to learn COBOL is the access to a machine as close to real one an not a simulator. Maybe openmaineframeproject is the missing link between learning and practice.