With the employment situation in the industry becoming serious, the Young Dairyfarmer Development Project is holding a workshop information session on part-time employment opportunities.

One of the organisers, Jon Holland from Newbridge, said relief milking was a great way to supplement income outside normal working hours.

"I know of a woman with school-age children who heads out in the morning to milk cows and is back in time to assist the children off to school," he said.

Mr Holland said that in modern dairies, working conditions were very good and it was very safe.

He said there were a range of activities relief milkers were ideally suited to.

"When I was a student at Glenormiston Agricultural College I relief-milked on a nearby dairy farm in the morning before starting my studies for the day," Mr Holland said.

"My mates worked in pubs and they didn't finish until very late at night, and I had the pleasure of dealing with cows and they had to deal with the public. Yes, I had the better job," he said.

Mr Holland said for the hours worked the pay was great, there was no need for experience and there was work available right now.

He said the workshop would also include a visit to a nearby dairy farm where cows were milked daily.

Any dairy employers were welcome to attend the workshop and see who was looking for a job, he said.

The session will be held at the Rochester tennis classrooms tomorrow at 1.30pm.