That's all from Holyrood Live on 11 January 2018.

Nicola Sturgeon insisted Scotland's NHS is peforming better than the rest of the UK, during first minister's questions

The first minister defended the way the NHS is dealing with the increased winter pressure, under pressure from Ruth Davidson, Richard Leonard and Willie Rennie.

Image source, bbc

The flu rate in Scotland is now four times what is was at this time last year.

In the past few weeks, A and E waiting times reached record levels, some operations had to be postponed and some GP surgeries have opened on Saturdays to cope with demand.

However BBC analysis found A&E units performed better than those in England in December, despite some of the worst figures on record.

MSPs reject the Labour amendment from the the debate on developing the young workforce.

26 MSPs backed it, but 88 MSPs voted against it.

They unanimously back the Lib Dem and Tory amendments and the government's amended motion.

Education Secretary John Swinney says the Scottish government's three main efforts in education - GIRFEC, Curriculum for Excellence and Developing the Young Workforce - have one thing in common: they are geared towards developing the needs of each and every child.

On gender segregation, he says that over 40% of apprenticeship starts in 2016-17 were female, though accept this is not good enough.

He agrees to "address that more wholeheartedly".

On the Labour amendment, the education secretary agrees zero-hours contracts have "no place in the fair work agenda".

However, he says employment law must be devolved if the Scottish government is to have any say over this.

On whether to include them in positive statistics, he argues that zero-hours contracts are sometimes what young people want.

Image source, bbc

Education Secretary John Swinney says MSPs have recognised there is much to celebrate in year three of the seven year strategy, but continued effort and focus is required to achieve the goals of the Wood Report.

Mr Swinney agrees with Labour MSP Iain Gray's praise of the Wood Report.

He says the government has achieved the target of reducing unemployment by 40% four years earlier than called for in the report.

Image source, Thinkstock

Scotland's vocational education system must be improved if youth unemployment is to fall, according to a report published in 2014.

A commission chaired by businessman Sir Ian Wood recommended that employers play a far bigger role in schools and colleges.

The Commission for Developing Scotland's Young Workforce said that if the measures contained in the report were implemented, youth unemployment could be cut by 40%.

Image source, bbc

Scotland's youth employment minister at the time then unveiled a plan aimed at achieving that target.

Sir Ian's report made a total of 39 recommendations, including providing quality work experience, increasing recognition of colleges' role in developing the workforce and providing more modern apprenticeships.

They were all accepted by the Scottish government.

Tory MSP Jamie Halcro Johnson says the progress report presents a "mixed bag" with some targets on track and others set to be missed.

To ensure employment is sustainable, more needs to be done to develop skills, he says.

On careers education, he highlights evidence suggesting it is inconsistent across schools, and links between primary schools and employers are limited.

While he welcomes the Scottish government's STEM strategy, he argues much of its actions are "overdue".

Image source, bbc

Labour MSP Mary Fee voices her support for all the amendments and the government motion.

Ms Fee says in today's world the odds are ever increasing against young people.

She says she wants zero-hours contracts to be removed from government statistics for positive destinations.

The Labour MSP says the government strategy must support people in and out of employment and zero-hours contracts do not achieve this.

She says there are 25,000 young and exploited Scots.

Progress has been made, but more must be done says Ms Fee.

The Labour MSP says more needs to be done to ensure female, disabled and BME people get apprenticeships and keep them.

Closing for the Lib Dems, Tavish Scott says the strategy deserves the constant ministerial attention it has received.

He expresses concern that parity of esteem between academic and vocational education has not yet been achieved.

Mr Scott warns against forthcoming educational reforms putting more burdens on headteachers and asks Education Secretary John Swinney to consider this.

He ends by calling for more support for women to enter stereotypically male professions.

Unite the union's fair hospitality charter has been touched on.

Image source, Unite

One of its main campaigns is arguing for young workers to be paid the same as those aged 25 and over.

Currently, workers aged 25 and over are entitled to the national living wage of £7.50 an hour.

Meanwhile, 18-20 year olds and 21-24 year olds are entitled to minimum wages of £5.60 and £7.05 per hour, respectively.

Image source, bbc

SNP MSP Ruth Maguire says the meeting of the target to reduce youth unemployment by 40% early is welcome.

Ms Maguire adds young people ready and willing to work are a benefit to employers, but employers must also be willing to offer training and support.

Image source, Thinkstock

At least 28,000 new apprentices will be trained next year, with increased support for rural areas and key sectors.

The target for 2018/19 was announced by Employability and Training Minister Jamie Hepburn in today’s debate in the Scottish Parliament on the Scottish Government’s Developing the Young Workforce agenda.

Mr Hepburn also confirmed changes to the rural supplement and increased funding for apprenticeships in key sectors.

These enhancements will mitigate against the cost of service delivery in rural locations and provide additional support for training costs in key areas, such as social services.

Image source, Scottish government

Labour MSP Johann Lamont calls for an impact assessment of budgets on the Developing the Young Workforce strategy.

She warns that reductions in education budgets, caused by cuts to local government, will undermine Sir Ian Woods intentions.

Jamie McIvor
BBC Scotland education correspondent

Exam passes are high by historic standards, more youngsters are staying on at school and going to college or university.

Is this a good thing in itself? Or is the education system simply having to adapt to the fact that in the modern world there are fewer good jobs for young people, and that unskilled jobs are disappearing?

Image source, Getty Images

The number of so-called Neets - youngsters who are not in education, employment or training - is at a very low level by historic standards.

The Scottish government guarantees youngsters who are not in a job a place in education or training. It is often the case that a pupil classed as a Neet has a long back story which helps explains the situation.

Read more here.

Image source, Getty Images

The number of people on zero-hours contracts in their main job fell slightly, according to official figures published in September.

Between April and June 2017, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that 883,000 people were on contracts that do not guarantee work.

This is 2.2% lower than the figure from the same period in 2016.

People on “zero-hours contracts” are more likely to be young, part-time, women or in full-time education when compared with other people in employment.

Half of Scots who graduated from university and some college courses in the past five years are working in "non-graduate" jobs, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics in August.

A survey by the ONS suggested 52% are in jobs which do not require further or higher education qualifications.

The figure for the UK was a whole was 46.4%.

Image source, bbc

Lib Dem MSP Tavish Scott says Sir Ian Wood's report was and remains right.

Mr Scott calls for Skills Development Scotland to be decentralised.

He calls for a more flexible and adaptable, closer support.

The Lib Dem MSP says national programmes could be locally interpreted and implemented.

Labour MSP Iain Gray calls for more young women to be encouraged into STEM apprenticeships, stating this will not change without intensified efforts.

"We have to be more rigourous about how we measure success", he says.

Turning to zero-hours contracts, he notes 36% of zero-hours contracts UK-wide are filled by young people.

He argues these contract should not be classed as a positive destination.

"This is not developing the young workforce - it is exploiting them."