How much training are most companies willing to allow? And for how long?
Depends on the company and what kind of training we’re talking about. Basically, if it’s a fundamental requirement of the job you’re going to be doing, no company is going to want to train you on that - they’re going to expect you to come in knowing it. Obviously, if you want to be a programmer you need to already know how to code. No company is going to want to teach you to code from the ground up. They’ll probably expect all basic and intermediate coding skills and some advanced knowledge as well. The more prestigious and higher-paying the company, the more they’ll expect.
But most companies do expect a certain level of training, and that varies. So for example, my company hired me (a UX researcher) on as a junior UX researcher; my prior background was in HIV research. They absolutely expected me to know basic research principles, and I brought an area of expertise they didn’t have. However, they didn’t expect me to know UX-specific techniques like usability testing, and they taught me how to do that on the job - with the caveat that since I was already a researcher I should be able to pick it up quickly, since I knew the basic principles surrounding the technique.
Same in your area. They’re going to expect a fundamental knowledge of programming. They’ll expect to train you on company specific tools and techniques. And then some jobs have a higher expectation of training than others. One company may want someone who can already use SQL prolifically whereas another may be willing to teach SQL to someone who doesn’t know anything about it.
Varies with the company and the economy. One week in-depth professional courses are fairly common and may be available your whole career. These might be languages, microprocessors, 6sigma, whatever.
Also, many companies will reimburse tuition if you choose to continue with more formal education.