It seems clear to me that copy editors are welcome to apply for openings throughout the newsroom. Some may disagree. This is the largest paper in the state, by far, so editors who leave for other papers generally leave the state. One talented fellow is now ensconced at the Charlotte Observer, I'm told. Management is not a bit heavy-handed, and the news editors are a joy to work with.
Training is catch as catch can.
Not entirely sure, but a deputy editor was once the news editor, and the executive editor takes a suspicious interest in the copy editing. Five years is a wild guess. We've expanded and added many new people in the last year. Great hardware, all Macintosh PowerPCs. QuarkXpress is used for pagination.