No, but I might prefer a plumber from a company that pays their plumbers to train and work on the latest 'tech' in their down time. I might even be willing to pay a 15% premium, especially if I'm looking for a 'cutting edge' solution for my bathroom.
You really don’t want a "cutting edge" solution for your bathroom. You want a boring one that you will be able to maintain by yourself for years with standard tools from the store.
And I truly think it’s the same for your codebase.
Given the choice, I would absolutely go for the plumber that spends some of their time practising difficult plumbing jobs and doesn't just do routine cases. Even if they are 15 % more expensive. I honestly believe they'll be much better equipped to handle anomalies, should they occur.
Looking at it further, I would ignore a 15% difference if it came with any enticing reasonable. Any small difference in quality is certain to return me much more than 15%.
I wouldn't expect to have professional development overtly included in a short term contract, either. I'd expect a much higher hourly rate to pay for it though, amongst other things.
I'd expect if the plumber worked for a plumbing company they'd probably invest some time and money into skills growth, and pay for it out of the money they charge you.