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More than half of the Island's council-run youth centres look set to close or move, as the local authority says it is responding to what young people want.
Under final plans for the Youth Service, buildings in Brading, Shorwell, Wootton, East Cowes, Cowes and Yarmouth are likely to be declared surplus to requirement.
A decision is set to be made from next Monday (16th Jan).
The council is also ditching its current service to those under 13 which is discretionary.
A spokesperson said only 13% of teenagers aged between 13 and 19 have been using the centres and the Youth Service is costing more to run than the national average. In the financial year 2010/11 the service ran over budget by £175,000, which the authority says 'is unsustainable'.
The Council says changes have to be made to the service because too many people are employed in positions with too great a range of working hours.
However despite the closure of buildings the Council says the new proposals intend to drive up the number of young people making use of the service to 20 per cent by 2014.
In a statement the authority said, "Key to the restructuring will be targeting resources on providing year-round services and activities - including during summer holidays when services have traditionally closed - rather than maintaining expensive, out-dated and underused buildings."
"There will also be more emphasis on outreach work and under the proposals the new staffing structure will offer more opportunity for staff to have contracts for longer hours, or full time. At present approximately a quarter of the workforce works for just under four hours a week."
"Modernising the service, which would be overseen by a new youth and community services manager, will also save council tax payers £128,000 next financial year."
Explaining the need for restructure, Ian Anderson, Isle of Wight Council director for community wellbeing and social care, said: "The service currently runs over budget and employs too many people for too great a range of working hours in buildings which it does not fully use and which it cannot afford to maintain properly.
"The updated youth service will work with town and parish councils to find spaces in some local buildings to operate youth work sessions rather than maintain large old buildings which are increasingly difficult to run and which are no longer fit for purpose.
"The service will also target young people in rural areas through the use of mobile youth provision to take youth services to areas where public transport makes it difficult for young people to access activities."
The plans are expected to be approved from next Monday 16th.
Report by Michael Coombes
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