Lewis Daly, Engine Build Technician

Whilst many people may believe that you need a degree to work in our industry, here at Cosworth we are committed to proving that is not the case. Our apprenticeship programme pioneers one of the alternative ways young people are able to break into engineering. We sat down with Lewis Daly, Engine Build Technician, to discuss his time with us as a part of our apprenticeship programme.

Can you tell us a little bit about your background before you joined Cosworth?
When I was younger, I used to work with my dad a lot in the garage. I was always into pushbikes and BMXing, but I always knew I wanted to get into motorsport and automotive engineering. At school I did maths, triple science and product design, I focussed on the subjects that I knew I would need for the industry. After finishing my GCSEs, I went to an engineering college to do Mechanical Engineering. It was that course that led me to a placement at Cosworth, so it was really nice that the path I started on, aligned and developed to bring me to where I am today.  

What made you choose Cosworth?
Since I was a child, I have always been into cars and bikes, so when the time came in college, I was fortunate enough to get a work placement at Cosworth for a year and a half. Very quickly I knew this was the place that I wanted to end up, seeing what was going on in the company at the time piqued my interest and I think spending time on-site really solidified that. 

In what ways did the apprenticeship programme provide the hands-on experience that sets it apart from other opportunities?
After my work placement I was offered a place on the programme straight away. I didn’t even get a summer holiday that year – I wanted to dive straight in! Cosworth is a great place to be a part of an apprenticeship scheme; we are a modest company with some incredible projects and that allows us to gain experience across a huge variety of engines. With the nature of our work, we are able get very hands-on, building the engine from start to finish allows us to get a complete depth and breadth of knowledge. Other places can be more limited, whereas the variety here is really what sets us apart.

What is your favourite project you have worked on so far?
I have built some of the Gordon Murray Automotive V12 T.50 engines; they are always great to work on and we actually got to watch them do Le Mans simulations on the dyno. That was a really great feeling, knowing you’ve had your hand in that from start to finish. 

As a young person in an apprenticeship role, what mentorship and support have you received that has stood out to you?
The company has given us the opportunity to progress really nicely through the department. We start by shadowing people, and these people tend to have a huge amount of knowledge because of their 25-to-30-year tenure with Cosworth. Having time with them, one-to-one, taught me so much and gave me the confidence to move on to subassembly. After spending some time learning on the likes of pumps and cylinder heads, I was able to move into full engine build. The progression into where I am now has been seamless and we were never thrown in the deep end on our own. There’s a whole team of people that just want to share their vast amount of knowledge and help you learn too, and a key sentiment within the company is ‘if in doubt, just ask’. 

Did the bridge between the placement and apprenticeship scheme help build up your confidence when you started the apprenticeship?
100%. When we do get people in on work placement, it’s great because we make sure they get the chance to work across all areas of the company. They get a few days in electronics and then some on the dynos and in engine build and I think that allows people to see what suits them best and how much they enjoy each area. 

What pushed you to choose engine build over any of the other areas you experienced whilst on that placement?
When I started on my work placement, I actually started in electronics. I did enjoy it, but as soon as I started in engine build, I knew that this was what I wanted to do. Being around Formula 1, historic and modern projects was very inspiring, so I knew I wanted to cement myself in that department.

Coming out of the programme, do you see a personal impact on the projects that you were a part of? How do you feel when you know there are engines that you had a part in making in some of the world’s most iconic cars?
When you say it like that, there’s a great sense of achievement, especially considering the amount of time and effort that went into it. That’s one of the most rewarding bits about the job. Creating the product and seeing it living and breathing on the dyno – it’s no longer just a static item, it’s a living mechanical marvel. Our engines are highly complex, there are hundreds of parts that go into them and it can be daunting to see your engine go on the dyno, you know you have followed the assembly process to the letter and everything has been put together alright, but you still have to trust in yourself that it’s all going to work seamlessly when the dyno technician takes it through sign-off.

Now I’m at the end of my apprenticeship programme, there’s still a lot to learn, but what I have already achieved has put me in really good stead. I’m actually in the development build shop now, so a lot of our engines are really low volume production runs, usually race engines. We’re talking in the realms of 8 to 15 very rare engines, usually with extremely high tolerances. The potential for failure is a lot higher than when you are building 200, simply due to the nature of not repeating processes as much as on those higher volume production engines. So, we have to make sure we are 100% confident about making right the very first time. There’s a much greater sense of achievement there to see one of these rare engines that I’ve built running on the dyno.

What would you say to someone considering joining the apprentice programme?
I suppose it can seem intimidating for a lot of people, joining such a prestigious brand like Cosworth, but there’s nothing to worry about, we’re like one big family here. Whenever we do get work placement people in, we always make sure we show them around and give them the attention that they need. We don’t just throw them in the deep end – there's a lot of learning involved. There aren’t many companies that can produce what we do. So, we do have our own procedures and strict processes that need to be learnt, but we're all very keen to make sure our people up to speed and not left in the dark if they are any struggles or doubts. We're always happy to help.

The progression through the apprenticeship is gradual, which means that you are able to build up a good base of knowledge that you will keep with you as your skills develop. The level of expertise that spans across our staff means that there is plenty of available and important knowledge to be learned.

On the personal side of your career, have you got any projects that your learnings at Cosworth have been applied to?
I've actually got a workshop myself for a couple of classic cars. Currently I’m building an old Mk1 Volkswagen Golf and a Mk2 Scirocco, which I have recently built a new engine for. Building cars in my personal time is really an extension of my interest using everything that I've learned here at Cosworth. Working here has given me the confidence to take on my own projects, things that I originally would never have thought of tackling myself. 

The knowledge that I have gained working with everyone at Cosworth has given me wide breadth of skills and confidence that has enabled me to enjoy working on my own passion projects, which to me is priceless.