Vacuum and thin film technologies are critical to advanced manufacturing industries. With a grant from the National Science Foundation (DUE #14004080), Normandale Community College has developed courses that are delivered online and via telepresence to provide a formal education to vacuum technician students around the country. Telepresence technology supports real-time interactions, which are crucial for instructors to help students understand this complicated topic. Designing the courses with active learning and flipped classroom principles encourages students to be prepared and to use class time for resolving questions. An unanticipated project outcome is that it has proven easier to partner with industry than with other educational institutions.