There’s a difference between certificates and certifications. Certificates are just a document showing you completed a course. Certifications are for those that have proven to a certifying body that they know the requisite skills and knowledge of a specific role.

ie: there’s a difference between having a certificate showing you’ve finished some Certified Ethical Hacker course, and actually having the Certified Ethical Hacker certification. The former is not worth much, even for govevernment or their vendors.