[lsc]

training in the UNIX industry is largely ignored (or done so badly that it might as well be ignored) by the business folks. But informal mentoring is extremely common.

Your UNIX folks will informally organize themselves around the best people, regardless of the org chart you try to impose from above. Part of the job of being the senior person is mentoring the newer people. This is done informally, but fairly consistently across most places I've worked.