Most java developers use Eclipse right now. For BlackBerry applications you can use the RIM JDE, it's a good IDE to learn how to program BlackBerry applications.

You can get Eclipse to build BlackBerry applications using ANT. All the new BlackBerries are Java only, so no need to learn C.

As for applications you may want to start simple, perhaps a "help" application that opens up your companies support web page.

Glad to hear your company is more open to this than mine is